Journal Of Horticultural Science

Research Article Medicinal Plants

Effect of Different Irrigation Intervals and Anti-Transpirants Compounds on Yield and Yield Components and Oil of Black Cumin (Nigella sativa L.)

Z. Safaei; M. Azizi; Gh. Davarinejad; H. Arouiee

Volume 38, Issue 2 , June 2024, Pages 251-261

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2021.57369.0

Abstract

IntroductionThe ever-increasing tendency to the use of medicinal plants in the world has grown concerns about their cultivation and production processes. As medicinal plants are more compatible with the nature, special interest and attention has recently been given to herb therapy, and use of medicinal ... Read More IntroductionThe ever-increasing tendency to the use of medicinal plants in the world has grown concerns about their cultivation and production processes. As medicinal plants are more compatible with the nature, special interest and attention has recently been given to herb therapy, and use of medicinal plants, being limited by the rise of pharmaceutical drugs, has become again common and widespread due to a number of reasons. Nigella sativa L. is one of the herbs that has a variety of uses and has been being used in iran’s traditional medicine since old times. Today this plant is considered as one of the most important kinds of medicine. Therefore, it is of great importance to conduct some researches on the herbs around the country due to different ecological requirements. N. sativa belonging to buttercup family, with the scientific name of Ranunculaceae, is an annual, dicotyledonous, herbaceous plant. In several studies, N. sativa has been reported to have anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, strengthening of immune system, and anti-histamine and oil extract properties. Furthermore, several effects such as lowering blood sugar, lipids, and hypertension, excretion of bile and uric acid, protection of liver, kidney and cardiovascular tissues as well as anti-seizure, anti-cancer, anti-microbial and anti-parasitic effects related to this plant have been reported. The aim of the present study is to improve the yield and yield components and oil of medicinal plant N. sativa by anti-transpiration compounds under drought stress conditions. Materials and MethodsAn experiment was conducted at Research Station,Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, in 2012-2013. The research was performed using a split plot experiment based on a randomized complete block design with three replications. The irrigation intervals (8 and 16 days) in main plots and anti-transpiration compounds of chitosan (0.25, 0.5 and 1%), Plantogopsyllium mucilage (0.5, 1 and 1.5%) and arabic gum (0.25, 0.5 and 0.75 %) were put in subplots with three replications. Also, the distance between the main plots in each block and distance between the two blocks were assigned as 100 cm and 200 cm, respectively; so that the moisture content of a plot had no effect on the adjacent plots. Planting date was April16 and planting was performed by hand in 0.5cm-deep furrows. Throughout the growing season, anti-transpiration compounds were applied concurrently with the imposition of drought stress, administered weekly at sunset until the flowering stage. Subsequently, yield, yield components, and oil content were measured. Results and Discussion Results showed that irrigation intervals had significant effects on all studied characteristics with the exception of 1000 seed weight. ncreasing irrigation intervals reduced percentage yield and yield components and oil of black cumin grains. Anti-transpirants compounds did have significant effects on percentage of oil and yield and yield components of black cumin grains. There were significant difference between different anti-transpirants compounds in terms of oil and yield components yield and of black cumin grains. The 8 days irrigation interval produced more grain yield compared with 16 days irrigation intervals (621.56 vs. 484.23 kg/ha). The highest oil (27.74%) and lowest (21.74%), respectively, at treatment anti-transpirants compound chitosan1 percent With 8 days irrigation interval and gam arabic 0.25 percent was obtained with 16 days irrigation interval and chitosan stimulating abscisic acid synthesis in the treated plant would result in stomatal closure, reduction of stomatal conductance, transpiration rate and water content. They also pointed out that the anti-transpiration effect of chitosan was because of its stimulatory effect in increasing abscisic acid concentration in the treated leaves of bean plant. As the above compounds are natural and biodegradable, as well as safer and less expensive than other chemical anti-transpiration compounds, they can serve as a good alternative to the chemical compounds. Cognition and expertise in water relations of plant and drought stress tolerance is considered as the main program in agriculture and the ability to withstand this stress is of great economic importance. Conclusion The anti-transpiration compounds led to significant changes in terms of all the studied traits compared to the control, indicating the effectiveness of theses natural compounds. Providing the appropriate conditions, 1% chitosan treatment can enhance the yield under drought stress. Spraying by arabic gum did not improve the growth conditions. According to this experiment, 1% chitosan treatment and 1.5% Plantago psyllium mucilage is considered the most appropriate strategy to enhance the yield of Nigella sativa under drought stress.

Research Article Ornamental plants

Effect of Different Growth Medium on Soil Properties and Physiological Traits of Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea L.) under Drought Stress

T. Oraee; M. Shoor; A. Tehranifar; S.H. Nemati; A. Oraee

Volume 38, Issue 2 , June 2024, Pages 263-279

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2021.71383.1073

Abstract

Introduction Climate change predictions indicate that drought and extreme heatwaves will become more frequent and extreme in many regions. Drought is the main abiotic stress that severely reduces plant yield across the globe. Thus, this may have negative consequences for the agricultural soils, ... Read More Introduction Climate change predictions indicate that drought and extreme heatwaves will become more frequent and extreme in many regions. Drought is the main abiotic stress that severely reduces plant yield across the globe. Thus, this may have negative consequences for the agricultural soils, as it limits the availability of water and nutrients to soil microorganisms and plants that develop on these soils. To cope with this situation, the use of organic amendments is the best option. Recent studies have shown that the application of organic fertilizers can affect soil moisture and thus, mitigate the negative effect of climate change on that parameter. Organic amendments increase soil organic matter content thus improving soil physical, chemical, and biological properties, and therefore, can confer drought resistance to soils. The application of organic residues has been presented as a great strategy against soil degradation in semiarid environments. However, the interactions between organic amendments and drought in hollyhock plants are not fully known. Here, we evaluate whether the organic amendment influences the physiological traits of hollyhocks and soil properties under drought conditions. Materials and Methods The experiment was conducted in the research field at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. The experiment consisted of three factors (cultivars, organic amendments, and drought) with organic amendments and drought having four and three levels, respectively. Drought treatments were controlled by a TDR at 80, 60, and 40% FC. The three sources of organic amendments were used cow manure, rice hull and wheat straw. Seeds were planted in cocopeat, perlite, and peat mixture trays in the greenhouse with an average temperature of 20 °C and under a photoperiod of 14 hours of light and 10 hours of darkness with a light intensity of 400 μmol-1 m2. In the 5-6 leaf stage, seedlings were transferred in pots (18 cm high and 8 cm in diameter) containing field soil. The plants were transferred to the field with four different substrates (field soil, field soil + manure, field soil + rice hull, and field soil + wheat straw) and were exposed to drought stress for one month during the flowering stage. This analysis examined both the physical and chemical properties of the soil, including changes in the macroelements nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Results and Discussion Soil nitrogen changes were significantly affected by the interactions of ecotype with drought, ecotype with the medium, and drought stress with medium. The highest nitrogen changes were recorded in Mashhad ecotype under 80% FC. Nitrogen content in amended soil had an increasing trend during the experiment, but the amount of nitrogen had a decreasing trend in soil. In all media under stress, the amount of soil phosphorus was increased and the highest amount of phosphorus was observed in soil + manure at all irrigation regimes. The highest amount of potassium in both ecotypes was observed in soil + manure. The amount of potassium in amended soils under stress significantly increased, but in all organic amendments with increasing drought stress from 80 to 40% FC, the potassium content decreased. In both ecotypes, soil salinity was increased in all culture media. Han et al. (2016) stated that the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the amended soil was higher than the substrates containing chemical fertilizer. The medium EC was alkaline at the end of the experiment and the salinity of the culture medium increased compared to the control. This study revealed a negative correlation between electrolyte leakage and dry weight in hollyhock plants. Furthermore, all measured physiological and growth parameters were significantly affected by the treatments. Notably, the Mashhad ecotype grown in soil supplemented with animal manure at 80% field capacity (FC) exhibited the highest levels of physiological traits (SPAD and relative water content) and growth index (dry weight).The application of manure + soil by providing macro elements reduces the negative effects of drought stress. Conclusion The type of crops grown in arid and semi-arid regions should be reconsidered. Also, some plants with high water requirements should be replaced with plants with low and unexpected water requirements. Because hollyhocks are low-expected plants that grow well in drought areas, so they can be considered as suitable species for cultivation in low-input systems and can tolerate drought situations by 40% FC in amended soil.

Research Article Breeding and Biotechnology of Plant and Flower

Effect of Nano-Iron Chelate and Cycocel on Growth Parameters of Poinsettia

B. Kaviani; N. Negahdar

Volume 38, Issue 2 , June 2024, Pages 281-301

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2021.72172.1086

Abstract

Introduction Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) from the family Euphorbiaceae is used as potted and cut flower and has great importance in floriculture industry. Appropriate application of nutrients and plant growth regulators has an important role in increasing the quantity and quality of crops. The ... Read More Introduction Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) from the family Euphorbiaceae is used as potted and cut flower and has great importance in floriculture industry. Appropriate application of nutrients and plant growth regulators has an important role in increasing the quantity and quality of crops. The successful application of various nanoplatforms in medicine under in vitro conditions has generated some interest in agro-nanotechnology. This technology holds the promise of controlled release of agrochemicals and site-specific targeted delivery to improve efficient nutrient utilization and enhanced plant growth. Nanoencapsulation shows the benefit of more efficient use and safer handling of pesticides with less exposure to the environment. Thus, nanofertilizers can be substituted for conventional fertilizers. The role of iron in the activity of some enzymes such as catalase, peroxidase and cytochrome oxidase has been demonstrated. Iron is present as a cofactor in the structure of many enzymes. The results of some studies showed that in the absence of micro-nutrients elements, the activity of some antioxidant enzymes decreased, which resulted in increased sensitivity of plants to environmental stresses. The use of nano-iron fertilizer is an appropriate solution to remove this problem. Some growth retardants such as cycocel, paclobutrazol, bayleton and daminozide reduced the plant growth. Growth reduction in some ornamental plants enhances their overall quality and marketing. Cycocel is one of the most important growth retardants which inhibits gibberellin biosynthesis and activity in plant. Today, a range of artificially made growth-reducing compounds are used in the floriculture industry. The effect of plant growth retardants, depends on the time and method of application, concentration, species and varieties type, type of target organ and environmental and physiological conditions. Plant growth retardants reduce the division and elongation of stem cells. These compounds also reduce stem length and growth by having a negative effect on gibberellin structure. Therefore, the present study investigated the effect of different levels of nano-iron fertilizer and different concentrations of cycocel on growth and development of poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd.). Materials and Methods These experiments were carried out based on a randomized completely block design in three replications to evaluate the effect of various levels of nano iron chelated fertilizer and cycocel on growth parameters of Euphorbia pulcherrima. Cuttings with a height of 15 to 20 cm, each with 3 nodes, were prepared from the mother plant of poinsettia. Cuttings were placed in water within 24 hours for exudation of latex. Then, cuttings were planted in perlite for rooting. After rooting (60-65 days), cuttings were transferred into substrates including cocopeat, municipal compost and soil in ratio of 1:1:1. Poinsettia cuttings were grown in pots. Treatments include nano-iron fertilizer (0, 0.9, 1.8, 3.6 and 4.5 g.l–1) and cycocel (0, 500, 1000, 1500 and 3000 mg.l–1). Application of EDTA-based nano-iron chelate as foliar spray was performed on plants at the beginning of the experiment and 30 days later, as well as the use of cycocel 30 days after the start of the experiment as foliar spray. Stem height, internode length, node number, root length, root number, root volume, leaf number, leaf surface, leaf total chlorophyll content, iron content in leaf and the number and longevity of bracts were evaluated. Results and Discussion Results showed that the lowest plant height and the highest leaf number, root length, root volume, the number and longevity of bracts were obtained in treatments of 1.8 g.l–1 nano-iron chelate without or with the concentration of 1000 mg.l–1 cycocel. In some traits such as root volume and chlorophyll content, the minimum amount was calculated in the maximum of nano-iron chelate and cycocel concentrations. Suitable root characters were severely reduced through the use of 3000 mg.l–1 cycocel. Overall, the most suitable treatment, especially for reduction of stem height and enhancing some vegetative traits (such as leaf number) and flowering (such as bract longevity) was 1.8 g.l–1 nano-iron chelate along with 1000 mg.l–1 cycocel. Research has demonstrated that cycocel application reduces plant height in various species, including ornamental plants, as confirmed by this study. Furthermore, this study reveals a novel effect of cycocel: it alters the weight of both aerial and underground plant parts, alongside influencing leaf iron and chlorophyll content. Notably, plant growth retardants like cycocel are known to increase cytokinin content, which in turn can lead to elevated leaf chlorophyll levels.

Research Article Pomology

The Effect of Phosphate-Solubilizing Bacteria in Availability of Phosphorus from Rock Phosphate and Improving Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.) Seedlings Growth at Different Levels of Irrigation Water Salinity

F. Azarmi-Atajan; M.H. Sayyari Zahan; A. Mirzaei

Volume 38, Issue 2 , June 2024, Pages 303-319

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2023.78915.1194

Abstract

Introduction Phosphorus (P) is one of the most important nutritional elements of plants and it is necessary for the development of plant roots. Due to the high cost of chemical fertilizers, it is important to use cheap sources such as rock phosphate (RP) to supply P needed by plants. The efficiency ... Read More Introduction Phosphorus (P) is one of the most important nutritional elements of plants and it is necessary for the development of plant roots. Due to the high cost of chemical fertilizers, it is important to use cheap sources such as rock phosphate (RP) to supply P needed by plants. The efficiency of RP is low and its use alone cannot supply the P required by the plant. One of the ways to increase the efficiency of RP is to use phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB). Considering the salinity of soil and irrigation water in many pistachio-growing areas of Iran, the use of salt-resistant PSB can increase their resistance to salt stress in addition to supplying the P required by pistachios. Materials and Methods In order to investigate the role of PSB in supplying the required P of pistachio seedlings under saline conditions, a factorial experiment was conducted in the form of a completely randomized design with 3 replications in greenhouse conditions. The factors included PSB at three levels [control (PSB0), Pseudomonas sp. 1 (PSB1) and Pseudomonas sp. 2 (PSB2)], RP at two levels (0 and 30 mg P from rock RP) and irrigation water salinity at three levels (0, 5 and 10 dS/m). The bacteria used in this study were able to produce ACC-deaminase, indole acetic acid and dissolve tricalcium phosphate in vitro. For inoculation, inoculum containing each bacterium with a population of 108 cells/ml was prepared in the nutrient broth medium and each pistachio seed (P. vera L. cv. Badami) was inoculated with 500 µL of bacterial inoculum. The plants were irrigated with non-saline water for four weeks and then with saline water until harvesting based on experimental treatments. During the growth period, the soil moisture of the pots was kept at about 80% of the field capacity by weight method. Finally, shoot and root sampling was performed and various characteristics such as shoot and root dry weight, chlorophyll, carotenoids, proline, soluble sugars, RWC, MSI and phosphorus as well as sodium concentrations were measured. Analysis of variance of traits was performed using SAS software and the means were compared using the LSD method with a probability level of P≤0.05. Results and Discussion The results showed that water salinity decreased the dry weight of shoot and root, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids, relative water content (RWC) and membrane stability index (MSI) of leaf and p concentration of shoot and root of pistachio seedlings. Auxin produced by bacteria can directly increase cell division and growth or indirectly increase ACC-deaminase production. On the other hand, proline, soluble sugars and sodium were accumulated in the leaves of seedlings with increasing water salinity. According to the results, although the use of RP alone did not show significant effect on the studied indicators, its simultaneous use with PSB had the greatest role in improving the growth of pistachio seedlings, especially in saline conditions. The highest amount of dry weight of shoot (1.89 g.plant) and root (1.59 g.plant), chlorophyll b (1.30 mg/g fresh weight), carotenoids (1.35 mg/g fresh weight), soluble sugars (59.1 mg/g fresh weight), proline (36.7 mg.g-1 fresh weight), leaf RWC (91 %), leaf MSI (84%) and the P concentration of shoot (0.39 %) and root (0.35 %) was obtained from the simultaneous application of RP and PSB (especially PSB2) in non-saline conditions. The PSB increase soil P availability by reducing of soil pH by release of protons and organic acids and mineralization by production of acid phosphatases. Bacteria, in addition to increasing soil P availability, improve phosphorus uptake and chlorophyll content in plants by affecting root morphology and its development in soil. On the other hand, inoculation with PSB (both separately and together with rock phosphate) reduced sodium accumulation in the aerial parts and roots of pistachio seedlings. Conclusion Unlike pistachio trees, the tolerance of pistachio seedlings to salt stress is low. According to the results, the salinity symptoms were visible in the pistachio seedling leaves at the water salinity level of 10 dS/m, which caused the drying of the lower leaves and the burning of the edges of the young leaves. On the other hand, although the application of RP alone did not have significant effect on increasing the tolerance of plants to salt stress, the simultaneous use of RP with PSB increased growth, the accumulation of proline and soluble sugars, the concentration of chlorophyll and carotenoids, the amount of RWC and MSI and P concentration of pistachio seedlings, especially in saline conditions. Therefore, the use of PSB can help the growth and establishment of pistachio seedlings under salinity stress conditions and increase the efficiency of RP and supply P needed by the seedlings.

Research Article Medicinal Plants

Assessments of Humic Acid Soil Application and Deficit Irrigation on Growth, Fruit Quality and Water Use Efficiency of Physalis peruviana L.

S.A.H. Mousavi; F. Nekounam; T. Barzegar; Z. Ghahremani; J. Nikbakht

Volume 38, Issue 2 , June 2024, Pages 321-337

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2023.80428.1226

Abstract

Introduction Physalis peruviana L. is a short perennial shrub that is a member of the Solanaceae family. These fruits have many benefits for human health because of their nutritional and bioactive compounds (vitamins (A, B, C and K), essential fats and etc.) and reduced the risk of diseases such as ... Read More Introduction Physalis peruviana L. is a short perennial shrub that is a member of the Solanaceae family. These fruits have many benefits for human health because of their nutritional and bioactive compounds (vitamins (A, B, C and K), essential fats and etc.) and reduced the risk of diseases such as cancer, malaria, asthma, hepatitis, dermatitis and rheumatism. Therefore, it has received special attention for cultivation all over the world. Increasing crop production and mitigating abiotic stresses are major challenges under extreme climatic environments and intense farming activities. Crop management strategies such as deficit irrigation can decrease soil evaporation, runoff, and plant transpiration, and increase water use efficiency (WUE) and water conservation. In addition to these practices, organic input, which includes the application of organic materials such as compost and humic substances, is an additional strategy that increases soil water retention and can potentially improve plant WUE. Water is crucial for agriculture and needs to be used effectively due to climate change and drought in Iran. For this reason, to adapt to water deficit scenarios, deficit irrigation applications are increasing in importance. Water availability is expected to be a growth limiting factor that would affect fruit yield in Physalis peruviana due to reduced flower set and elevated floral abscission rate. Materials and Methods In order to investigate the effect of humic acid on physiological characteristics, yield and fruit quality of Physalis peruviana under deficit irrigation conditions, a split plot experiment based on randomized complete block design with three replications was conducted during 2021. Treatments consisted arrangement of three levels of irrigation (starting irrigation at 100, 80 and 60% ETc (crop evapotranspiration)) and three levels of humic acid (0, 1.5 and 3 kg ha-1). The seeds of Physalis peruviana were sown in seedling trays contain peat moss. The seedlings were grown under normal conditions (25±2 °C/day and 20±2 °C at night with 60-65% RH). Plant height, total chlorophyll, fruit yield per plant, total soluble solid content, titratable acidity, vitamin C content and water use efficiency were measured. Statistical analyses were performed with SAS V9.3, and means comparison were separated by Duncan’s multiple range tests at p < 0.05. Results and Discussion The results showed that deficit irrigation significantly reduced growth, fruit yield, vitamin C and increased water use efficiency (WUE) and Total soluble solid content of Physalis peruviana. The soil application of humic acid significantly increased total chlorophyll, fruit quality and yield, and decreased leaf electrolyte leakage under normal and deficit irrigation, thus, the deficit irrigation 60 ETc% decreased the plant height by 18.6% and the fruit yield by 22.2% compared to irrigation 100 ETc%. The maximum plant length (200.3 cm), total chlorophyll content (2.42 mg g-1FW) and fruit yield (4793.3 kg ha-1) were observed in plants treated with 3 kg ha-1 humic acid under 100% ETc irrigation. The highest value of total soluble solid (12.6 B°), antioxidant activity (90.06 %) and WUE (1.23 kg m-3) were obtained with 3 kg ha-1 soil application of humic acid under deficit irrigation 60% ETc. The application of 3 kg ha-1 humic acid under 100 and 80 %ETc irrigation increased the fruit yield by 25% and 4%, respectively, compared to the control plants (non treated with humic acid) under irrigation100 ETc% and under deficit irrigation 60 ETc%, with decreasing 11% fruit yield, water consumption was saved by 40%. Soil and crop management practices that alter plant water and nutrient availability could affect the processes of crop evapotranspiration and WUE, which can influence the yield and fruit quality by changing the internal nutrient and water balance. Incorporating organic matter within a crop growth system either as leaf spray or soil mix is a complementary strategy to improve crop growth and WUE. By inducing antioxidant enzyme activities, HS could assist plants in stomata functioning, thereby closing stomata more efficiently under drought stress, which results in plant water conservation. The reason of the difference between WUE values probably appeared due to the differences on Physalis peruviana yield. WUE showed an upward trend with an increasing in irrigation. Conclusion Study results suggest that soil application of humic acid with increasing vitamin C, TSS and TA, improved fruit quality. According to the results, application of 3 kg ha-1 humic acid is suggested to improve fruit yield and quality of Physalis peruviana under normal and deficit irrigation conditions.

Research Article Medicinal Plants

Studying the Phytochemical Compounds of Ethanol and Ethyl Acetate Extracts of Three Ecotypes of Artemisia aucheri

S. Houshmand; S. Alizadeh- Salteh; S. Bolandnazar; E. Aryakia

Volume 38, Issue 2 , June 2024, Pages 339-352

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.80951.1233

Abstract

IntroductionTaking into account Iran's unique meteorological and biological characteristics due to its geographic position. This has contributed to the variety and abundance of plant species cultivated there. The Artemisia species, which are among Iran's most valuable plants, are members of the Asteraceae ... Read More IntroductionTaking into account Iran's unique meteorological and biological characteristics due to its geographic position. This has contributed to the variety and abundance of plant species cultivated there. The Artemisia species, which are among Iran's most valuable plants, are members of the Asteraceae family and are found across the country in reasonably large numbers. Antioxidants now play an indisputable role in the food, pharmaceutical, and healthcare industries. Given that the antioxidant capability is greatly influenced by the kind of solvent used, the technique used to extract the plants that were harvested from each location, as well as other factors like the weather, altitude, and light. The substantial antioxidant activity of phenolic and flavonoid compounds and their protective significance in cancer illnesses are caused by these compounds' regenerative properties. Materials and MethodsIn this work, Artemisia aucheri, a medicinal plant, was gathered from Semnan, Mazandaran, and Isfahan in Iran, and the antioxidant activity of these ecotypes was assessed. In this study, the quantity of total phenol and flavonoids in polar (ethanol) and non-polar (ethyl acetate) extracts, as well as the proportion and diversity of essential oil components, were assessed. Antioxidant content was also determined using the DPPH and FRAP techniques. Results and DiscussionThe most active antioxidant is found in the Semnan ecotype. The polar solvent of ethanol showed the strongest inhibition whereas the non-polar solvent of ethyl acetate shown stronger reducing activity, proving the importance of the extraction solvent on antioxidant activity in various processes. The non-polar extract (ethyl acetate) from the Mazandaran ecotype had the greatest flavonoid concentration, while the polar extract (ethanol) from the Isfahan ecotype had the highest phenolic content. The ethanolic extract performed the best when assessing total phenol. The most crucial elements of essential oils are oxidized monoterpenes. Oxygenated monoterpenes are present in 54.82% of the Semnan ecotype, 38.81% of the Mazandaran ecotype, and 24.41% of the Isfahan ecotype. In comparison to other ecotypes, the Semnan ecotype exhibited the most oxygenated monoterpene compounds and the greatest number of essential oil-containing compounds. ConclusionThese findings suggest that A. aucheri possesses abundant natural antioxidant sources and is useful in both the food and pharmaceutical industries. A key aspect is the act of extraction, which is focused on the extraction's goal. The solvent used during extraction significantly affects the outcomes. Regarding the chemical makeup of the compounds, the solvent's polarity directly affects the solutes that are extracted. Since phenolic chemicals are more attracted to polar solvents, they are found in plant samples. The kind of flavonoids found in plants and their degree of polarity determine the variation in the quantity of flavonoid content between polar and non-polar extracts. On the other hand, a variety of ecological, genetic, regional, and dietary variables may have contributed to the variation in phenolic contents, essential oils, and antioxidant chemicals found in the three analyzed ecotypes.

Research Article Medicinal Plants

Investigation on the Effects of Carbon Nanotubes and Kinetin on Growth and Regeneration of Salvia nemorosa under in vitro Conditions

Y. Pourbeyrami Hir; E. Chamani; M. Ahadzadeh; S. Shaker; R. Nabipour Sanjbod

Volume 38, Issue 2 , June 2024, Pages 353-366

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.84810.1293

Abstract

Introduction The use of medicinal plants has surged in recent times, with a substantial portion of modern medicines derived from botanical sources. This surge in demand underscores the potential of cultivating and producing medicinal plants to not only bolster public health but also significantly contribute ... Read More Introduction The use of medicinal plants has surged in recent times, with a substantial portion of modern medicines derived from botanical sources. This surge in demand underscores the potential of cultivating and producing medicinal plants to not only bolster public health but also significantly contribute to a society's economic well-being.Salvia nemorosa is an herbaceous, perennial, and medicinal plant. This valuable plant belongs to the Labiatae family. The aerial parts of the plant, especially the leaves, contain essential oils. Furthermore, S. nemorosa contains chemical compositions such as saponin, organic acids, diterpenes, triterpenes, polyphenols, and a bitter substance called picrosalvin. In the plant tissue culture, the preparation of culture medium and formulation compatible with the tissue of the tested plant is vital for efficient regeneration and plant growth. Generally, no specific culture medium can be recommended for the growth of explants, and is necessary to make changes in the culture medium in order to better respond to different types of explants. Carbon nanotubes are nanomaterials that can be added to the culture medium and increase the growth rate of different parts of the plant such as roots, stems, and branches. Cytokines also commonly participate in cell divisions and proliferate shoots by removing terminal dominance. Considering the mentioned importance, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of carbon nanotubes, kinetin, and their interactions on some morphophysiological and phytochemical properties of S. nemorosa under in vitro conditions. Materials and Methods This experiment was carried out in the tissue culture and biotechnology laboratory of the Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili. This study was conducted based on factorial design (completely randomized design) with five replications. The treatments included five levels of carbon nanotubes (0, 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg/L CNT) and three levels of kinetin (0, 2, and 4 mg/L CK). The seeds of S. nemorosa were sterilized with 70% ethanol for 40 seconds and then 2.5% hypochlorite sodium for 15 minutes (then the seed were washed with deionized water three times 3, 5, and 15 minutes). The sterilized seeds were planted in MS medium containing 30 g/L sucrose and 8 g/L agar, and then transferred to a growth chamber. After 40 days, the obtained seedlings were cut into single nodes by removing leaves and transferred to the main treatment medium. After that, some traits such as fresh weight, number of branches, number of leaves, number of roots, leaf area, root length, seedlings height, viability rate, germination rate, chlorophylls a, b, carotenoid content, phenol content, and flavonoid content were examined. The obtained data related to the experiment were analyzed with SAS software, the comparison of data means was done with Duncan's test, and the graphs were plotted using Excel software. Results and Discussion The results indicated that the interaction effect of carbon nanotubes and kinetin on the indices of fresh weight, number of branches, number of leaves, number of roots, leaf area, root length, seedling height, survival percentage, germination percentage, pigment content photosynthesis was not significant. On the contrary, the interaction effect of two treatments on the content of total flavonoid and total phenol showed a significant difference. The highest phenol content was obtained in the treatment combination of 80 mg/L of carbon nanotubes and 4 mg/L of kinetin. On the other hand, increasing the concentration of carbon nanotubes up to 80 mg/L, the average shoot production, number of leaves, leaf area, plant height, root number, root length, chlorophyll a, b, carotenoid, phenol and flavonoid content. increased significantly. Also, by increasing the concentration of kinetin (4 mg/liter), the number of branches, the content of chlorophyll a and b increased significantly. Conclusion The characteristics of the S. nemorosa plant, except for fresh weight, significantly increased under the influence of carbon nanotube treatments. However, under the influence of kinetin treatment, only the number of branches, chlorophyll a, b, phenol content, and flavonoid content showed a significant increase. Based on the results of this study, carbon nanotubes can be used for proliferation and increasing the secondary metabolites of S. nemorosa. Despite the results of this study, it is still possible to use higher concentrations of carbon nanotubes in future research in order to increase the phytochemical properties and productivity of other medicinal plants.

Research Article Medicinal Plants

Investigating Growth and Biochemical Responses of Marjoram (Origanum majorana) to Cadmium and Lead

M.B. Razavinia; N. Pourghasemian; F. Najafi

Volume 38, Issue 2 , June 2024, Pages 367-380

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.84918.1296

Abstract

Introduction Heavy metals, like cadmium, lead, and arsenic, harm air, soil, agriculture, and human health. Plants suffer from reduced growth, chlorophyll production, and enzyme activity due to heavy metal exposure. Reactive oxygen species are produced, damaging biological molecules. However, ... Read More Introduction Heavy metals, like cadmium, lead, and arsenic, harm air, soil, agriculture, and human health. Plants suffer from reduced growth, chlorophyll production, and enzyme activity due to heavy metal exposure. Reactive oxygen species are produced, damaging biological molecules. However, plants have developed resistance mechanisms, including antioxidant stimulation. Flavonoids, complex compounds in plants, enhance resistance to heavy metals. Medicinal plants, rich in secondary metabolites like flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and alkaloids, show resistance to heavy metals. Origanum majorana as a medicinal plant, contains compounds that contribute to its heavy metal resistance. Based on limited studies, medicinal plants, particularly marjoram, have shown greater resistance to environmental stresses due to their secondary metabolites and the ability to produce uncontaminated essential oils in response to heavy metals like cadmium and lead. This study aimed to investigate the biochemical responses and growth of marjoram plants when exposed simultaneously to cadmium and lead, as well as the mutual effects of these two elements on marjoram behavior. Materials and Methods A factorial randomized complete block design experiment with four replications was used to study the effect of Cd in four concentrations (0, 6, 12 and 24 mg.kg-1 soil) as well as Pb in four concentrations (0, 150 300 and 450 mg. Kg-1 soil). The concentrations were determined based on previous reports and a preliminary experiment. Soil was prepared with appropriate amounts of cadmium chloride and lead chloride were added according to the desired concentrations. The contaminated soil was then incubated at field capacity moisture for two months. Seeds have been sown in germination trays. Seedlings at the three to four leaf stage were transferred to pots containing the contaminated soil. Plant harvest took place 42 to 52 days after the transfer to pots, specifically when the plants had just entered the flowering stage. The aboveground parts of the plants were harvested separately, and the roots were carefully removed from the soil. Half of the plants were dried at 105 °C for 24 h to determine the dry weight, Pb and Cd concentrations. The other half of the plants were used to measure biochemical traits including flavonoids, anthocyanins, malondialdehyde, protein, proline and some enzymatic antioxidants. The data was analyzed using a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and the means were compared using the LSD test. A significance level of 95% was applied using SAS 9.2. Results and Discussion In this study, various parameters were measured including the dry weight of aerial parts and roots, concentrations of lead and cadmium in the aerial parts and roots, lipid peroxidation (MDA), flavonoids, anthocyanins, total phenols, proline, protein, and antioxidant enzymes including guaiacol peroxidase (GPX), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and catalase (CAT). The results of the analysis of variance showed that all the mentioned traits were influenced by the individual effects of lead and cadmium. However, there was no significant interaction between cadmium and lead on proline, protein, GPX, polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. The dry weight of aerial parts and roots decreased in the presence of cadmium and lead, while the concentrations of lead and cadmium increased. However, this damage was more pronounced in the presence of cadmium compared to lead. The presence of cadmium in a lead-containing environment had an inhibitory effect on lead uptake by the plant, and vice versa. The highest level of MDA was reported in the combination of lead and cadmium concentrations of 450 and 24 mg/kg, respectively. The analysis of enzyme activity showed that the maximum catalase activity was observed in the combination of 6 and 450 mg/kg of cadmium and lead, respectively, while the minimum activity was found in the control group. Similarly, the highest APX activity was reported in the combination of 24 mg/kg of cadmium and zero lead, while the lowest activity was observed in the control group. The use of cadmium and lead at the highest consumption level compared to the control group resulted in a 204% and 40% increase in GPX activity, respectively. In the analysis of total phenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, and protein, an increase in cadmium concentration from zero to 24 mg/kg led to a decrease of 52%, 42%, 208%, and 81%, respectively, while protein decreased by 39%. These traits showed an increase of 14%, 14%, 58%, and 40%, respectively, with an increase in lead concentration from zero to 450 mg/kg, while protein decreased by 24%. Based on the results, it appears that the increase in secondary metabolites with the increase in heavy metals has accompanied the plant's response to the prevailing conditions. Conclusion The study found that both cadmium and lead negatively affect the dry weight of plants, with cadmium having a greater impact. This reduction is particularly noticeable in photosynthesis, pigments, electron transport chain, and energy production. The highest concentrations of lead and cadmium (24-450 mg/kg) show the maximum decrease. As the concentrations of these elements increase in the growth medium, their concentration in the plants also increases. Lead has lower mobility and tends to accumulate in the roots compared to cadmium. Interestingly, the presence of cadmium inhibits the uptake of lead by the plant, and vice versa. This leads to an average inhibition of 39% for lead uptake by cadmium and 35% for cadmium uptake by lead in the aerial parts. The study also observed an increase in secondary metabolites, which act as antioxidants and help the plant cope with the stresses caused by cadmium and lead. These metabolites may also contribute to osmotic regulation along with the increase in proline. Based on these findings, it seems that these plants can be used in green spaces contaminated with moderate to low levels of cadmium and lead, particularly in mining areas.

Research Article Postharvest physiology

Effect of Foliar Spray with Ferulic Acid and Nano-chitosan on some Quality Attributes, Phytochemical Compounds of Apple Fruit cv Red Delicious

S. Mostafayi; M.R. Asghari

Volume 38, Issue 2 , June 2024, Pages 381-392

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.84985.1300

Abstract

Introduction Apple (Malus domestica) is considered as one of the important members of the Rosaceae family and is among the most consumed fruits in the world. One of the biggest challenges for agricultural researchers is to increase the quantity and quality of food to feed the growing population, without ... Read More Introduction Apple (Malus domestica) is considered as one of the important members of the Rosaceae family and is among the most consumed fruits in the world. One of the biggest challenges for agricultural researchers is to increase the quantity and quality of food to feed the growing population, without negatively affecting the health of the soil and agricultural ecosystems. Due to the adverse effects of chemicals on human health and environmental safety, the production of organic products has been considered as one of the most important issues in food production systems. It is utilized in various forms, including fresh fruit or processed as industrial products. Based on the respiratory and ethylene production pattern, apples are classified as climacteric fruits. Metabolic activities and ripening continue after harvest, so apples have the potential to transform into highly perishable products after harvest. Post-harvest treatments are certainly not the most suitable method for preserving the shelf life and quality of fruits during the post-harvest period. Therefore, employing new and effective methods to enhance quality, control decay, and consequently extend the post-harvest life of apples appears to be essential. Organic farming, as an agricultural system to protect human health and the environment, can improve product quality and shelf life. Materials and MethodsThis study was conducted on an apple orchard (Malus domestica) in Zarabad area of Khoy city located in the northwest of Iran (with the same management and growth conditions) in 2018-2019. The experiment was conducted as a factorial in the form of a completely randomized block design in 4 replications. The experimental factors included spraying fruit trees with nano-chitosan in 3 concentrations (zero, 5 and 10 ml) and ferulic acid in 3 concentrations (zero, 0.5 and 1 mM). Apple trees in three times, the first stage in the hazelnut time. Fruit drop, the second stage 20 days after the first stage and the third stage 20 days after the second stage spraying, were sprayed in the afternoon using a Cross mark PB20 manual sprayer. The harvested fruits were sprayed according to the treatments were packed and labeled and transferred to the central laboratory of horticultural sciences of Urmia University. After 24 hours of storage at the laboratory temperature, the measurement of the studied traits started on the fruits, the control treatment in this experiment was distilled water with Tween 80 (0.1/v/v). Results and DiscussionCompared to the control group, fruits treated with a combination of chitosan and ferulic acid exhibited a significant increase in firmness after harvest. Notably, the most effective treatment involved a combination of 10 milliliters of nano-chitosan and 1 millimolar ferulic acid, resulting in the highest level of firmness among all treatments.As a result, the combined treatment of chitosan and ferulic acid can delay the aging process by reducing the activity of enzymes involved in cell wall degradation and maintain firmness in apples, contributing to a positive effect. According to the obtained results, fruits treated with nano-chitosan and ferulic acid showed a higher soluble solid content compared to the control fruits, and this amount increased with the higher concentrations of nano-chitosan and ferulic acid. The minimum level of TA was observed in the control treatment, and the highest level was observed in the treatment with 10 milliliters of chitosan and 1 millimolar ferulic acid. The treatment with 1 millimolar ferulic acid and 10 milliliters of chitosan showed the highest percentage of TA content compared to the control. The combination of nano-chitosan and ferulic acid treatment led to a reduction in fruit juice pH, with the lowest pH observed in the treatment with 1 millimolar ferulic acid and 10 milliliters of chitosan, and the highest pH observed in the control treatment. Vitamin C is the primary water-soluble antioxidant that directly reduces damage caused by free radicals. According to the obtained results, the maximum content of vitamin C was observed in the treatment with 1 millimolar ferulic acid and 10 milliliters of chitosan. According to the obtained results, the maximum PAL enzyme activity was observed in the treatment with 1 millimolar ferulic acid and 10 milliliters of chitosan. Conclusion In general, the findings of the current study showed that pre-harvest treatment with nano-chitosan and ferulic acid had a positive effect on the post-harvest quality of apple fruits. The fruits treated with the highest concentration of nano-chitosan and ferulic acid exhibited the highest fruit firmness, titratable acidity, vitamin C content, PAL enzyme activity, and the lowest pH compared to the control fruits. These results indicate that nano-chitosan and ferulic acid treatment can be proposed as a promising and healthy method for improving the post-harvest quality of apple fruits.

Research Article Growing vegetables

Investigating the Effect of Chicken Manure and Potassium Sulfate on Yield and Biochemical Traits of Fenugreek Medicinal Plant

M.H. Aminifard; S. Nadafan; H. Bayat; M. Jahani

Volume 38, Issue 2 , June 2024, Pages 393-406

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.85718.1307

Abstract

IntroductionThe annual herb Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (Fabaceae) is cultivated worldwide as a semi-arid crop. It is commonly known as Fenugreek and used as both a spice and medicinal plant. Fenugreek is used to treat many ailments due to the presence of various bioactive compounds, like apigenin, ... Read More IntroductionThe annual herb Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (Fabaceae) is cultivated worldwide as a semi-arid crop. It is commonly known as Fenugreek and used as both a spice and medicinal plant. Fenugreek is used to treat many ailments due to the presence of various bioactive compounds, like apigenin, luteolin, orientin, quercetin, vitexin, isovitexin, saponins, amino acids, phenols, alkaloids, etc. Combining chemical and organic fertilizers offers a sustainable approach to nutrient management. This integrated strategy enhances the effectiveness of chemical fertilizers, fosters improved soil health, and minimizes nutrient loss from the system.Chicken manure is one of the types of animal manure and a source of organic matter to strengthen all types of soil. In addition to having nutrients, it is one of the cheap fertilizers compared to common fertilizers in the production of crops, and it is richer in nitrogen than other animal fertilizers. Potassium is a critical element for plant growth and development, playing a vital physiological role in plant health and resilience against biotic and abiotic stresses. Materials and MethodsTo investigate the effect of chicken manure and potassium sulfate on yield and biochemical traits of the fenugreek medicinal plant, factorial research was conducted in the form of randomized complete block design in three replications in the crop year 2021-2022. Experimental treatments included chicken manure at three levels (0, 1000, and 2000 kg.ha-1) and potassium sulfate at four levels (0, 1.5, 3, and 5 per thousand). To determine the seed yield after full ripening, the seeds were collected from one plant in each plot, weighed, and recorded. Arnon's method was used to measure the pigments in the leaves at the full flowering stage of the plant. To measure the amount of total phenolic compounds in the leaf using the Folin Cicalto method, antioxidant using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) method, total sugar using anthrone method, total flavonoid using aluminum chloride reagent method was used in the full flowering stage of the plant. Results and DiscussionThis experiment revealed that chicken manure significantly boosted crop yield and improved most biochemical traits, with the exception of sugar and antioxidant content.The amount of antioxidant activity decreased with increasing levels of chicken manure and soluble sugar was not affected by this manure. Treatment of 2000 kg.h-1 chicken manure has the highest phenol with 10.793 mg.g-1 dry weight, flavonoid with 4.475 mg.g-1 dry weight, Chlorophyll a with 2.591 mg.g-1 of fresh weight, Chlorophyll b with 3.055 mg.g-1 of fresh weight, and seed yield with 1185.8 kg.h-1. Regarding the impact of Soluptas on biochemical traits, all except phenol and antioxidant content peaked at a concentration of three parts per thousand. Notably, these peak levels were statistically indistinguishable from those observed at five parts per thousand.Treatment of 5 per thousand Soluptas also increased 28% seed yield, 13% soluble sugar, 20% phenol, 31% flavonoid, and 97% chlorophyll b. In the interaction effect in the treatment, it was observed that the highest amount of the two fertilizers had the highest amount of yield and biochemical traits, except for the antioxidant, whose activity level decreased with the increase of fertilizer levels. The results showed that the highest amount of soluble sugar in fenugreek leaves was related to the level of no chicken fertilization with Soluptas 5 per thousand at the rate of 21.53 mg.g-1 dry weight. The highest levels of both treatments (2000 kg.h-1 of chicken manure and Soluptas 5 per thousand) caused an increase in grain yield (1396 kg.h-1), phenol (12.86 mg.g-1 DW), and chlorophyll b (3.62 mg.g-1 FW) compared to no fertilization (control level). The highest amount of chlorophyll a was related to the interaction of 2000 kg.h-1of chicken manure and Soluptas 3 per thousand at the rate of 3.11 mg.g-1 of fresh weight. ConclusionOverall, chicken manure exhibited the strongest positive influence on the greatest number of traits among the single treatments. When considering the combined effects, a combination of 2000 parts per thousand chicken manure and 5 parts per thousand Soluptas appears to be optimal for enhancing the fenugreek plant's properties.

Research Article Medicinal Plants

The Effect of Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria on the Amount of Morphine, Papaverine, and Noscapine Alkaloids of Papaver somniferum L.

S. Samavat; M. Salehi Vozhdehnazari; M. Yahyazadeh Balalami; M. Rahimifard

Volume 38, Issue 2 , June 2024, Pages 407-418

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.85697.1306

Abstract

Introduction So far, more than 40 different types of alkaloids have been known in poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) as a valuable medicinal plant, the most important of which are morphine, codeine, thebaine, noscapine, and papaverine. The biosynthesis of these alkaloids may be strongly influenced by a variety ... Read More Introduction So far, more than 40 different types of alkaloids have been known in poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) as a valuable medicinal plant, the most important of which are morphine, codeine, thebaine, noscapine, and papaverine. The biosynthesis of these alkaloids may be strongly influenced by a variety of biotic and abiotic elicitors. In fact, microbes as biotic elicitors can affect the production of poppy alkaloids. Among them, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can be noticed, which stimulate and improve plant growth through various mechanisms such as mineral phosphate solubilization, plant hormone production, siderophores secretion, nitrogen fixation, etc. The use of PGPR agents can not only lead to an increase in plant biomass, but simultaneously, due to their role as biotic elicitors, they cause to an increase in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in plants. These biotic elicitors target plants’ defense mechanisms and result in triggering a series of metabolic changes throughout the plant. The use of PGPR agents to stimulate the plant to produce secondary metabolites has several advantages: First, in some plants, defensive metabolites are active biological compounds that lead to the induction of food production with high added-value in the plants. Secondly, physiologically, with the increase in the synthesis of secondary metabolites, the resistance of the plant against pathogens also increases. Accordingly, the present study was performed with the aim of investigating the effects of bacterial strains with the ability to solubilize inorganic phosphate as biotic elicitors on the amount of morphine, papaverine, and noscapine alkaloids in P. somniferum. Materials and Methods In this research, the solubility of inorganic phosphate by four bacterial strains including Enterobacter xiangfangensis S2, Pantoea dispersa S7, Pantoea stewartii S25, and Pseudomonas canadensis S36 was evaluated quantitatively using Sperber broth medium. Under greenhouse conditions, the effect of foliar spraying of P. somniferum plants with a suspension of the bacterial strains (108 CFU.ml-1) on the amount of morphine, papaverine, and noscapine in the plants’ capsules, stems, and leaves was investigated. About three weeks after the appearance of capsules in poppy plants, the aerial parts of the plants (stems, leaves, and capsules) were sprayed with the bacterial suspensions. One week after foliar spraying, poppy plants were harvested in order to determine the amount of the desired alkaloids. Three pots were considered for each treatment and there were three poppy plants in each pot. Alkaloids were extracted based on an alcoholic method and detected using HPLC. Morphine and noscapine standards were prepared at a concentration of 1000 μg.ml-1 and papaverine standard at a concentration of 250 μg/ml. Then the mixture was prepared in proportions of 1, 1:50, 1:10, 1:50 and 1:100 and injected into the HPLC set to draw the calibration curve. All the experiments were conducted in a form of completely randomized design with three replications for each treatment (P<0.05). Results and Discussion The results showed that the highest (458.67 µg.ml-1) and the lowest (130.47 µg.ml-1) phosphate solubility were related to S2 and S36 strains, respectively. S7 and S25 strains were not statistically significantly different from each other and after S2 strain, they were placed in the second statistical position. In the bacterial strains’ treatments, the level of morphine in the stems and leaves as well as the capsules increased significantly in most cases compared to the control. The amount of papaverine in the stems and leaves decreased significantly, but it had no significant changes in the capsule. Also, noscapine showed a significant increase in the stems and leaves and reached from 0.8 mg.g-1 DW in the control to 8.12 in the S2 treatment. While, the amount of noscapine increased significantly in the capsules, only in the S2 and S36 treatments. Other strains did not show significant differences with the control for noscapine content in the capsules. The results showed that the interaction effects of the type of the alkaloids and the use of phosphate solubilizing bacterial strains on the concentration of the studied alkaloids in poppy stems, leaves and capsules are significant (P<0.01). Conclusion It can be concluded that there is no need to apply genetic engineering to increase the production of valuable secondary metabolites by medicinal plants. Rather, this goal can be achieved much cheaper by using bacterial elicitors. Accordingly, by selecting compatible and efficient bacterial strains with phosphate solubilizing activity, the amounts of morphine, papaverine, and noscapine alkaloids in the aerial parts of P. somniferum as a valuable medicinal plant can be noticeably increased.

Research Article Growing vegetables

Evaluation and Study of Yellow and White Onion Cultivars (Allium cepa L.) in the Climatic Conditions of Southern Kerman Province

M. Ghasemi; S. Sardouei-Nasab; G. Mohammadi- Nejad; S. Aminizadeh

Volume 38, Issue 2 , June 2024, Pages 419-429

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.85799.1310

Abstract

Introduction Onion stands as one of the primary and extensively consumed vegetables at global scale, with numerous genotypes, both native and imported, being cultivated in the country annually. The southern provinces of the country have allocated about 50 percent of the cultivated area to onion cultivation. ... Read More Introduction Onion stands as one of the primary and extensively consumed vegetables at global scale, with numerous genotypes, both native and imported, being cultivated in the country annually. The southern provinces of the country have allocated about 50 percent of the cultivated area to onion cultivation. Therefore, selecting superior genotypes compatible with southern regions is essential to achieve maximum yield. Considering the long history of onion cultivation as one of the native plants of our country, there is a lot of genetic diversity in this plant. However, to date, inadequate breeding programs have been conducted to develop new, high-yield varieties in our country, leading most farmers to rely on local cultivars for cultivation. Therefore, it is necessary to design targeted breeding programs to produce new varieties superior in yield potential, flavor, aroma, resistance to pests and diseases, and other characteristics. In this regard, collecting diverse onion germplasm and evaluating genetic diversity in it is one of the basic steps for designing targeted breeding. The main purpose of this project is to evaluate genetic diversity in yellow and white onion cultivars in terms of morphological traits and selecting superior genotypes. The results of this project are a necessary prerequisite for long-term plans for the production of new varieties of onions. Materials and Methods The research was carried out in the Faryab region, situated in the southern part of Kerman province. We assessed four commercial yellow onion hybrids- Rio Bravo, Soberana, Eiden, and Ascro Goldeneye -and four commercial white onion hybrids-Minerva, Cirrus, Macran, and 4043-using a 4x4 Latin square design during the 2022 growing season. Various observable traits, such as days to bulbing, days to maturity, onion bulb diameter, plant height and leaf length, fresh and dry plant weight, number of edible layers, fusarium infection percentage, and average tuber yield were recorded. To analyze the data, we used descriptive statistics to show the maximum, minimum, and average values of the traits, along with variance analysis, correlation analysis, and mean comparisons. Results and Discussion The analysis of variance revealed significant variations across the measured traits. Within the yellow onion genotypes, Rio Bravo displayed the shortest maturity cycle, averaging 113 days to maturity, while Aiden exhibited the longest maturity duration with an average of 141 days. The Sobrana cultivar consistently outperformed other varieties across all investigated traits and was introduced as the best yellow onion cultivar. Bulb yield displayed strong and positive correlations with bulb diameter, bulb length, plant height, leaf length, number of edible layers, and both fresh and dry plant weight. However, the correlation between days to maturity and bulb yield was low, suggesting that the duration from planting to maturity did not affect the enhancement of bulb yield in yellow onions. The findings indicated that in contrast to yellow onion cultivars, white onion cultivars exhibited a longer average duration to bulb formation and maturity, alongside a lower bulb yield. Among the white onion genotypes, Minerva displayed the earliest maturity, while Cirrus was observed as the longest maturing genotype. Cirrus cultivar exhibited the highest average bulb diameter, bulb length, plant fresh weight, plant dry weight, leaf length, and bulb yield. Conversely, the Macran genotype displayed the lowest mean values for bulb diameter, bulb length, plant fresh weight, plant dry weight, and bulb yield. Additionally, a significant and strong positive relationship was observed among bulb diameter, bulb length, plant fresh weight, and plant dry weight. Typically, onion quality is often assessed based on bulb diameter, where larger bulb diameters tend to correspond with higher bulb yields. Evidently, both in yellow and white onion cultivars, those with higher yields also demonstrated larger bulb diameters. Conclusion In the southern regions of Kerman province, the early maturity of onions is very important. Among the yellow onion genotypes, Rio Bravo was the earliest variety. The Soberana cultivar had a higher bulb yield compared to Rio Bravo, but it matured approximately twenty days later than Rio Bravo. Among the white varieties, Minerva was also the earliest maturing variety. However, the Cirrus cultivar had a higher bulb yield compared to Minerva. Yet, in comparison to Minerva, it was both later to mature and more susceptible to fusarium. The selection of onion varieties can significantly depend on the specific conditions of the region and the needs of the farmers. If timing and fusarium sensitivity are crucial factors for farmers, Minerva and Rio Bravo, with lower susceptibility to fusarium, might be suitable options. However, if bulb yield and product quality hold greater importance for farmers, Soberana among yellow onions and Cirrus among white onions are recommended. Additionally, considering breeding goals, these varieties can be utilized in onion breeding programs according to breeding objectives.

Research Article Medicinal Plants

Effects of Elicitors on Physiological and Phytochemical Characters of Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis L. Subsp. angustifolius Bieb.) in Various Irrigation Conditions

M. Yadegari

Volume 38, Issue 2 , June 2024, Pages 431-449

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.85939.1311

Abstract

Introduction Hyssopus officinalis L. belongs to the family Lamiaceae, and is one of the endangered endemic species in Iran. This plant is rich in essential oil, flavonoids, monoterpene glycosides, trypanocidal terpenoids, rosmarinic acid, and linolenic acid6. The main compounds of the essential oil ... Read More Introduction Hyssopus officinalis L. belongs to the family Lamiaceae, and is one of the endangered endemic species in Iran. This plant is rich in essential oil, flavonoids, monoterpene glycosides, trypanocidal terpenoids, rosmarinic acid, and linolenic acid6. The main compounds of the essential oil from H. officinalis L. collected from natural habitats are α-pinene, Sabinene, 3-Carene, Beta-Pinene, Cis- Pinocamphone, Myrtenol, Pinocamphone and Camphor. The environmental factors cause changes in the growth, quantity, and quality of active substances (such as alkaloids, glycosides, steroids and volatile oils) in the medicinal and aromatic plants. Among environmental stresses, water deficit stress plays an important role in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites in medicinal and aromatic plants in arid and semi-arid regions like Iran. Drought stress has detrimental effects on growth and yield and can upset the balance between the antioxidant defense system and free radicals by stimulating a series of biochemical reactions, where free radicals cause cell damage. In sustainable production systems of medicinal and aromatic plants, stable quantitative and qualitative functions can be achieved under conditions of environmental stress and it is possible to improve the production of secondary metabolites in these plants under adverse environmental conditions. Therefore, this study was done to evaluate the organic elicitors on the physiological and phytochemical properties of H.officinalis to determine and introduce the best elicitor under water stress. Materials and Methods This investigation was done from spring (May) 2022 to fall (September) 2023 at the Research Farm (latitude. 32°20′ N, longitude. 50°51′ E, altitude. 2061 m). Based on the Köppen climate classification, the climate of the area of study is classified as cold and semiarid. The present study was conducted in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications to investigate the effect of foliar application of different organic elicitors (chitosan, salicylic acid and phenylalanine) with control level (without any spraying) on the physiological and phytochemical characters of H. officinalis L. In each year, treatments were performed in 3 stages (end of vegetative, beginning of flowering and 50% of flowering) and in full flowering, harvesting was done. 3 irrigation regimes (4, 6, 8 day interval) in main plots and foliar application of elicitors in sub plots were done. The essential oils were extracted by hydro-distillation and analyzed using GC/MS. Results and Discussion According to obtained results, applied organic elicitors significantly influenced the physiological and phytochemical characters of H. officinalis L. However the assayed traits showed slightly variation during the studied years. In two years, the highest chlorophyll content (17.12-17.31 mg.Kg-1 FW) and total phenol content (1.77-1.81 mg.g-1 DW) were obtained in chitosan (0.5 mg.l-1) and phenyl alanine (1000 mg.l-1) treatments respectively. In most of measured characters, plants treated with chitosan (0.5 mg.l-1) and phenyl alanine (1000 mg.l-1) were in the same group. Amounts of some characters in plants treated with phenyl alanine (2000 mg.l-1) and salicylic acid (3 mM) lesser than control plants. The main constituents of essential oil were Sabinene, 3-Carene, Beta-Pinene, Cis- Pinocamphone, Myrtenol, Pinocamphone and Camphor (cyclic monoterpenes) that made the most components of essential oil plants. Among of elicitors, the chitosan effect on increasing of physiological and phytochemical characters such as the chlorophyll content was higher than other elicitors. Applied elicitors showed significant effects on essential oil content and composition of H. officinalis L. The highest essential oil content (0.89-0.91 %) was obtained from the treated plants by chitosan (0.5 mg.l-1). According to the biennial results of the chemical analysis of the essential oils from plants treated with treatments by GC/MS, the most important chemical compounds that determine the quality of H. officinalis L. essential oil including Beta-Pinene (17.93-18.53 %), Pinocamphone (24.97-25.12 %) and Cis-Pinocamphone (42.87-45.12 %) were identified. Cis-Pinocamphone belonging to bicyclic monoterpene was the predominant constituent of essential oil of H. officinalis L. Conclusion According to the results of this study, water deficit stress caused significant phytochemical changes in the H. officinalis L. essential oil. The main constituents of the volatile oils of H. officinalis L. were Sabinene, 3-Carene, Beta-Pinene, Cis- Pinocamphone, Myrtenol, Pinocamphone and Camphor were identified in the H. officinalis essential oil. Generally, Foliar application of chitosan and phenyl alanine significantly increased the monoterpenes compounds in essential oils of Hyssopus officinalis L., so that the content of these compounds and essential oil content in treated plants by organic elicitors 63% was more than the control plants. Finally, the application of chitosan at 0.5 mg.l-1 can be a good strategy to improve physiological and essential oil quantity and quality of H. officinalis L. in cold and semi-arid climates.

Research Article Postharvest physiology

Application of Gamma Aminobutyric Acid Treatment on Frost Damage and Antioxidant Properties of Cavendish Banana (Musa acuminata cv. Cavendish) during Cold Storage

Z. Pakkish; S. Mohajerpour; S. Saadati

Volume 38, Issue 2 , June 2024, Pages 451-463

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.86061.1314

Abstract

Introduction Fresh fruits and vegetables are physiologically active and perishable after harvest. Continued metabolic processes such as transpiration or respiration may significantly affect their quality and thus shorten their useful life. Since keeping at low temperatures and without freezing for ... Read More Introduction Fresh fruits and vegetables are physiologically active and perishable after harvest. Continued metabolic processes such as transpiration or respiration may significantly affect their quality and thus shorten their useful life. Since keeping at low temperatures and without freezing for a long time effectively reduces the physiological activity of the products, it can be used as a strategy to maintain the quality of the products and increase their life after harvesting. Among the most economically important tropical fruits, ripe green bananas are very sensitive to cold and when stored below the threshold temperature, they show all the symptoms of frost damage. While banana cultivars, maturity stage, and ripening all influence cold sensitivity, there's a growing interest in extending the shelf life of produce using natural, plant-friendly compounds. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a naturally occurring four-carbon, non-protein amino acid found in plants, animals, and bacteria, is a promising candidate in this area.Abiotic stresses such as cold, heat, drought, ultraviolet rays and low oxygen can cause the accumulation of GABA in plants. Generally, the purpose of this research was to investigate the effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid treatment to improve freezing and antioxidant properties of Cavendish banana at 5 degrees Celsius for 24 days in 90% relative humidity. Materials and Methods Cavendish banana fruits (Musa acuminata cv. Cavendish) at the time of commercial maturity (ripe green) were obtained from a banana garden in Kerman and immediately transferred to the horticultural science laboratory of Shahid Bahoner University, Kerman. Healthy and uniform fruits were selected in terms of size, shape, color, and degree of ripening, and after washing with water and drying them, frost tolerance, malondialdehyde, and antioxidants were measured for zero day. GABA (Sigma-Aldrich, USA) required after weighing was dissolved in water and prepared in two concentrations of 2.5 and 5 mM. The fruits were divided into three groups of 54 and each repetition included 18 fruits. The first and second groups were immersed in GABA solution of 2.5 mM and 5 mM for 5 minutes, respectively. The third group was immersed in distilled water for 5 minutes and was used as a control (Khaliq et al., 2023). Each treatment was repeated three times. Then, all the fruits were dried in the air for one hour and kept for 24 days at 5 degrees Celsius and relative humidity of 85-90%. Biochemical observations were measured on days 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 of storage. Results and Discussion The results of this research showed that frost damage gradually increased during the storage period and the control fruits showed significantly more frost damage symptoms than the fruits treated with GABA. GABA treatments of 2.5 and 5 mM at the end of the storage period reduced the amount of frost damage by 55.64 and 69.95%, respectively, compared to control fruits. As shown in Figure 1b, MDA content as an index of membrane lipid peroxidation in the control and GABA-treated fruit showed an upward trend, which was associated with the destruction of banana fruit membrane under cold stress. Compared to control, banana fruits treated with GABA showed lower MDA accumulation during the entire storage period at 4 degrees Celsius. On the last day of storage, GABA treatment with a concentration of 2.5 mM and 5 mM reduced the amount of MDA in banana fruits by 30.99% and 59.80%, respectively, compared to the control. Post-harvest treatment with GABA reduced frostbite, ion leakage and MDA levels in banana fruits, thereby maintaining fruit quality during low temperature storage. GABA treatment increased the activity of catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes in banana fruit compared to the control under low temperature storage. The activity of antioxidant enzymes CAT, APX, POD and SOD increased significantly until the 20th day of storage at low temperature, especially in the 5 mM GABA treatment compared to the other two treatments, and then decreased slightly at the end of the storage period. An increase in the concentration of oxygen free radicals, including hydrogen peroxide, leads to an increase in catalase enzyme activity. Catalase enzyme is often present in the peroxisome and causes the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. The specific activity of catalase enzyme increased during cold storage, especially in GABA treatments, so it seems that this enzyme is an efficient scavenger for removing hydrogen peroxide and thus causes better protection of cells against peroxidation. In the ascorbate-glutathione cycle, the ascorbate peroxidase enzyme reduces the amount of hydrogen peroxide by using ascorbate as an electron donor. In the present study, the activity of ascorbate peroxidase enzyme in GABA treatment was significantly higher than the control, which indicates the importance of the role of ascorbate peroxidase in plant tissues against oxidative damage. Guaiacol peroxidase enzyme is another antioxidant enzyme that decomposes hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. Peroxidase enzyme plays a role in the oxidation of precursors of phenolic compounds, lignin production, and removal of free radicals. The activity of peroxidase enzyme showed a similar trend in all three treatments, although its activity in GABA treatments was more than the control. Therefore, this enzyme effectively eliminated free radicals in banana fruits. In confirmation of these findings, it was reported in research that the activity of peroxidase enzyme increased in fir cuttings during the cold period. In research, post-harvest treatment of GABA with a concentration of 5 mM reduced frostbite and increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as CAT, APX, POD and SOD in peach fruits. Conclusion The results of this research showed that the applied post-harvest treatments reduced the signs of frostbite and preserved the antioxidant properties of banana fruits. Among the treatments, 5 mM concentration of GABA was the most effective treatment in the storage period. Therefore, GABA treatment can be used as a practical solution to reduce frostbite and preserve the antioxidant properties of Cavendish bananas during long-term storage.

Research Article Breeding and Biotechnology of Plant and Flower

The Effect of Time and Different Concentrations of Sodium Hypochlorite, Carbendazim Fungicide and Mercuric Chloride in Inhibiting the Contamination of Fritillaria spp. Bulbs in Tissue Culture Environment

L. Moradi; S.N. Mortazavi; M. Alaei

Volume 38, Issue 2 , June 2024, Pages 465-478

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.86540.1322

Abstract

IntroductionSuccess in tissue culture technique, especially in bulbous plants, depends on the microbial contamination control during in vitro culture. Decontamination is considered as a fundamental challenge in the technique of cell, tissue and plant organ culture. Although there are various methods ... Read More IntroductionSuccess in tissue culture technique, especially in bulbous plants, depends on the microbial contamination control during in vitro culture. Decontamination is considered as a fundamental challenge in the technique of cell, tissue and plant organ culture. Although there are various methods for this purpose, the development of disinfection methods specific to each species is considered an important factor in the establishment and success of the tissue culture system. Applying different treatments can control the microbial contamination and consequently increase the percentage of explant survival. This plant is among the poisonous plants of pastures and the chemical compounds present in it have important medicinal effects, so that the existence of alkaloid and glycosidic compounds has been reported for it. These chemical compounds are used to treat rheumatic pains, lymphatic system diseases and also as liver cleansers. This ornamental plant also has the ability to produce pots and its export is possible in pots . Currently, in order to overcome the issues of the usual methods of propagation of this ornamental plant and to produce pollution-free plants, the use of in vitro cultivation methods in this plant has become very important. bulbes is one of the most common explants of inverted tulip tissue culture, but it often faces very high internal and external fungal and bacterial contamination. In the in vitro culture of onion plants, the existence of fungal and bacterial contaminations are one of the main problems that can affect the efficiency of this type of propagation methods. Fungal and bacterial contaminations are one of the most important problematic factors in different in vitro culture methods. Internal contamination usually appears several weeks after planting. These contaminations may not be seen externally, but they affect the growth, division and greening of small samples. Mercuric chloride is mainly used as a surface disinfectant along with sodium hypochlorite and it controls the spectrum of bacteria and fungi and increases the disinfection efficiency. The results of the study showed that mercuric chloride relatively controls the bacterial and fungal contamination of the samples, but it reduces the survival percentage of the samples in high concentration. It seems that some plants are sensitive to mercuric chloride and determining the appropriate amount of this substance plays a very important role in preparing a healthy and living specimen. Determining the duration of disinfectant treatment was also considered in various researches, so that sometimes carbendazim 1% fungicide for 20 minutes, 70% alcohol for 60 seconds, sodium hypochlorite 2.5% for 10 minutes. And 0.1% mercury chloride was used for 7 minutes to sterilize aloe vera sample. Considering the importance of plant tissue culture techniques and the need to create new protocols to reduce contamination and increase the number of healthy cultures, the main goal of this study is to create an efficient protocol for the disinfection of Fritillaria spp. onion explants in order to increase the efficiency of in vitro cultures. Materials and Methods This study aimed to investigate the effect of time and different concentrations of sodium hypochlorite, carbendazim fungicide and mercuric chloride in inhibiting the contamination of inverted tulip bulbs (Fritillaria spp.) in tissue culture environment. So, an experiment was done as a completely randomized design at four replications in the biotechnology laboratory of Zanjan University during 2023. The experimental treatments consisted of 0.1% fungicide at different times (30, 25, 35 and 40 minutes), 5 levels of sodium hypochlorite (0,1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3%) at different times (7, 9, 10, 12 and 15 minutes), 70% Ethanol at two different times (0,60 and 90 seconds) and mercury chloride (0,0.1 and 0.2%). Bulbs that collected from nature were transferred to the Biotechnology Laboratory of the Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Horticulture, Zanjan University and kept them in the refrigerator at 4°C for two weeks. After this period of time, the bulbs were washed with detergent and then remained in water for 30 minutes. Then they were disinfected by using the above-mentioned treatments: It should be noted that at the end of each step, Fritillaria bulbs were washed with sterile distilled water. Also, after the end of the disinfection treatments, the desired explants were cultured in MS basic culture medium. The statistical analysis of this experiment was carried out using SAS software, version 9.1. The differences between mean values were compared using Duncan’s multiple range test method at the 5% significant level (p < 0.05). Results and Discussion The control of fungal and bacterial contamination, especially in relation to bulbous and bulbous plants that are in direct contact with the culture medium, is one of the basic steps in in vitro culture conditions. Applying different treatments including the use of fungicides, alcohol, sodium hypochlorite and mercuric chloride in the cultivation environment can help control fungal and bacterial contamination in the Fritillaria spp. plant. However, the application of such treatments can have a negative effect on the regeneration potential of the explants, so it is important to choose the appropriate treatment in a way that controls the fungal and bacterial contamination and on the other hand preserves the regeneration potential of the explants. This study investigated the effectiveness of various disinfection protocols on Laleh-Avgagun onion explants. While the lowest contamination (0%) was achieved using 0.1% fungicide for 40 minutes, 70% alcohol for 90 seconds, 3% sodium hypochlorite for 15 minutes, and 0.1% mercury chloride, this treatment significantly reduced explant survival and regeneration, causing browning. Conversely, applying 0.1% fungicide for 30 minutes, 70% alcohol for 60 seconds, 2% or 2.5% sodium hypochlorite for 12 or 10 minutes respectively, and 0.1% mercury chloride effectively reduced contamination while maintaining explant survival. This optimized protocol improved the growth and regeneration ability of the explants.Therefore, in the conditions of in vitro cultivation, the use of the mentioned treatments is recommended to control contamination and optimal reproduction of the bulbs of Fritillaria spp. plant.

Determination of Time and Method for Grafting of Mango ″Langra″ in Roudan in Hormozgan

Esmaeil Porghasemi; abdolhossein Aboutalebi

Volume 24, Issue 2 , March 2011

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhorts4.v1389i2.7990

Abstract

Abstract Among the propagation methods of mango, grafting is the most common method, but growers do not have enough knowledge about the suitable time and grafting methods of this fruit tree. This problem is the most important factor in production of grafted mango plants. This experiment was conducted ... Read More

Effect of Pre-Bloom Gibberellic Acid Application on Seedlessness and Some Fruit Traits of Three Iranian Seeded Grape Cultivars

Hamed Doulati Baneh; Hekmet Jafari; Rasul Jalili Marandi; Rahim Abdolahi

Volume 31, Issue 1 , February 2017, , Pages 110-121

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhorts4.v0i0.44918

Abstract

Introduction: The basic characteristic of modern table grape production is its adaptation to the requirements of the market aiming to improve grape quality, such as equal cluster size, equal size and shape of the berry, and equal coloration of all the berries in the cluster. Furthermore, an important ... Read More Introduction: The basic characteristic of modern table grape production is its adaptation to the requirements of the market aiming to improve grape quality, such as equal cluster size, equal size and shape of the berry, and equal coloration of all the berries in the cluster. Furthermore, an important attribute of the grape berry quality is seedlessness. Seedless cultivars are characterized with small berries, which can be increased by using some management techniques. Plant hormones may play an important role in the growth and development of grape berries. Gibberellic acid (GA3) is known to stimulate development of parthenocarpic fruit in grapes and other fruits. The exogenous pre-bloom application of GA3 to grapevine is commonly used to induce seedlessness, accelerate early ripening, and enhance berry size in seedless cultivars. Although there are a large number of studies on seedless grape varieties, no previous research has been performed on the effect of GA3 on the seeded grape cultivars. Differences in the types of berry set affect the growth of berries and their size. It is well known that there is an important relationship between seed development and berry growth, which has been attributed to hormones such as auxins, gibberellins and cytokinins. Materials and Methods: To study the effects of 100 mg/L pre-bloom (7 and 14 days before blooming) GA3 application on the induction of seedlessness and some berry and cluster characteristics of three seeded Iranian cultivars, Qzl ouzum, Rish babab Qermez and Khalili Qermez, this research was conducted as a factorial experiment based on Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with five replications. The vines of each cultivar were selected in the vineyard of Horticultural Research Center in West Azarbaijan Agriculture and Natural Resources Research Center, Urmia, Iran. The vines were 13 years old and bi-lateral cordon system had been used as their training system. Pollen germination test was performed at the time of flowering, and several qualitative and quantitative traits including fruit set percentage, cluster length, rachis fresh weight, number of shot berries, number of seedless berries in clusters, the average weight of seedless berries, length of pedicle, berry weight, total soluble solids (TSS) and pH were measured. Results and Discussion: The results of the study showed that GA3 at 100 mg/L showed significant difference from control regarding pollen germination rate, fruit set percentage, length of cluster and rachis, number of shot berries, weight and number of seedless berries, length of pedicle, weight of berry and TSS. Pollen germination was reduced in those cultivars treated with GA3 but the responses of cultivars were different. Gibberellin caused an increase in cluster length, but the rate of increase in Rish baba and Qzl ouzum was greater than Khalili. In terms of inducing seedlessness in berries, GA3 caused greater effect in Qzl ouzum than Rish baba and Khalili Qermez. The greatest seedless berries weight obtained with the treatment of GA3 spray 7 days before blooming in Qzl ouzum, although the number of seedless berries in this cultivar was fewer than other cultivars. The difference in berry number per cluster between clusters receiving GA3 pre- vs. post-anthesis appeared to consist largely of seedless berries. Perhaps, GA3 stimulated non-fertilized or otherwise nonviable fruits to be retained. The longest pedicle observed in Qzl ouzum treated with 100 mg/lit GA3 14 days before blooming, while Khalili Qermez had the shortest pedicle. In all the cultivars, treatment with GA3 caused an increase in the average length of pedicle. The content of total soluble solids (TSS) in fruits treated with GA3 was higher than control. Gibberellic acid promotes cell division, stimulates earlier flowering, increases the size and yield of fruits, and induces seedlessness in seedless cultivars. The effect of GA3 depends on variety, concentration and time of application. Conclusion: In conclusion, application of GA3 at 100 mg/lit increased fruit set and seedless berries. The increased number of seedless berries was also noticed when GA3 applied at 100 mg/L. In general, GA3 application before flowering in Qzl ouzum, Rish babab Qermez and Khalili Qermez cultivars produced shot berries and seeded berries, and repeated GA3 application after fruit set can resulted in seedless berries with an acceptable size. More research is needed to establish guidelines for the proper use of GA3 for production of seedless berries from the studied seeded cultivars.

Effects of Cow Manure, Ammonium Sulfate and Potassium Sulfate on Physico-Chemical Indices of Fruit and Leaf of Mazafati Date (Phoenix Dactylifera L.)

E. Aryakia; Hamid Reza Roosta; nahid rahmizade

Volume 31, Issue 3 , September 2017, , Pages 457-468

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhorts4.v31i3.36474

Abstract

Introduction: Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is one of the most important fruit species grown in Iran. This plant is mainly grown in the south of the country, where pH of soil is high, resulting in poor nutrient uptake. Furthermore, because of high yield and annual pruning of date palm, large amounts ... Read More Introduction: Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is one of the most important fruit species grown in Iran. This plant is mainly grown in the south of the country, where pH of soil is high, resulting in poor nutrient uptake. Furthermore, because of high yield and annual pruning of date palm, large amounts of macro and micronutrients are removed from soil. So, annual fertilizing should be applied for good performance. Research shows that use of manure alone or in combination with mineral fertilizers improves physico-chemical indices of fruits and leaves of palm trees. Regarding to high nutrition dependency of date palm, it is necessary to evaluate the effect of different fertilizers on physico-chemical indices of its leaf and fruit. The main objectives of this study were thus to evaluate the effect of cow manure, ammonium sulfate and potassium sulfate on physico-chemical indices in fruit and leaf of Mazafati date. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in bam zone, Kerman, Iran, in 2011- 2012. The area was located at 28°53′40′′N latitude, 58°37′18′′E longitude and 1050 m above sea level. A factorial experiment in a randomized complete block design was performed during month of March. Factors included ammonium sulfate (0, 500 and 1000 g/tree), potassium sulfate (0, 750 and 1500 g/tree) accompanied by cow manure (5 kg/tree). For leaf and fruit analysis, sampling was performed during month of June. Physico-chemical indices including nitrogen, potassium, iron, chlorophyll a, b and total, carotenoid, fruit weight, fruit diameter, fruit length, TSS and TSS/TA were evaluated. Chlorophyll was measured by using the method of Lichtenthaler (1987). Total soluble solid (TSS) was measured by using refractometer. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software and the treatment means were separated by Duncan’s multiple range tests. Results and Discussion: Results showed that because of supplying nitrogen, sulfur and potassium and their significant effects on noted physico-chemical indices, the highest nitrogen and iron content, photosynthetic pigments of carotenoid and chlorophyll (a and total) of leaf, and fruit weight were obtained in treatments of ammonium sulfate (1000 g/tree) and potassium sulfate (1500 g/tree) combination with cow manure (5 kg/tree). The highest potassium content of leaf, TSS and TSS/TA ratio of fruit were obtained by using ammonium sulfate (500 g/tree) and potassium sulfate (1500 g/tree) in combination with cow manure. The general increase in physico-chemical indices of fruits and leaves of date palm by the application of cow manure plus mineral fertilizer might be due to the increase in the availability of nutrients especially available N, P and K in the soil. In many reports, the effects of mineral fertilizers on nitrogen, potassium and iron content of the plant tissues were discussed. For example, date palm (two cultivars including Zaghloul and Samany) treated by ammonium nitrate and nitrobean (a bio-fertilizer) had the highest amount of leaf nitrogen and potassium. The highest rates of nitrogen, iron and potassium in palm fruit were obtained from cow manure in combination with NPK. Nitrogen, iron and potassium contents of the date and pistachio were increased by using ammonium sulfate fertilizer. Fruit weight, length, diameter and dry weight increased, while fruit moisture content decreased by organic manures either alone or in combination with mineral NPK as compared to the mineral N. Higher fruit TSS was obtained by the application of organic manures alone or in combination with mineral NPK as compared with mineral fertilization alone. Nitrogen concentration can be increased by using nitrogen fertilizer, for example ammonium increased leaf nitrogen concentration more than nitrate. Mineral nutrient, especially sulfur and nitrogen supplied by ammonium sulphate and potassium sulphate, increased the content of chlorophyll and carotenoid due to their roles in the synthesis of these compounds. Higher potassium content of leaves promotes photosynthetic rate of chloroplast, phloem transport of photosynthates to sink tissues and finally improves quality and yield of the fruit, which is associated with high sugar content. Conclusions: For feeding of date palm tree, cow manure fertilization alone is insufficient. Ammonium sulfate and potassium sulfate alone or in combination with cow manure could improve physico-chemical indices of leaves and fruits. This mixed fertilizer, supplying nitrogen, potassium and sulfur macronutrients, had significant effect on physico-chemical parameters, and subsequently improved the content of nitrogen, iron, potassium, photosynthetic pigments (a, b and total, carotenoid), TSS, TSS/TA ratio and the fruit weight.

Assessment of the Frost Resistance in Some Olive Cultivars Using Visual Injuries and Chlorophyll Fluorescence

N. Simkeshzadeh; Mostafa Mobli; Nematollah Etemadi; Bahram Baninasab

Volume 24, Issue 2 , March 2011

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhorts4.v1389i2.7992

Abstract

Abstract Planting of olive (Olea europaea L.) tree due to salt and drought tolerance and ever green habit increasingly is considered in urban landscape in recent years. The low resistance to cold has been a major problem in using this tree in temperate and cold zones. So, determination of frost resistance ... Read More Abstract Planting of olive (Olea europaea L.) tree due to salt and drought tolerance and ever green habit increasingly is considered in urban landscape in recent years. The low resistance to cold has been a major problem in using this tree in temperate and cold zones. So, determination of frost resistance cultivars is one of the important measures for use of this tree in urban landscape. To evaluate frost resistance of 15 olive cultivars and to compare the visual assessment and chlorophyll fluorescence methods, a factorial experiment was carried out using 7- year- old olive trees which were planted in randomized complete block design with 3 replications. In visual method, frost damage of winters 2007 and 2008 to plants (percentage of drying by scoring and percentage of leaf abscission) were measured. Results of this experiment showed that ‘Amphisis’ followed by 'Gorgan' and 'Shengeh' were tolerant and ‘Kroneiki’ and ‘Rashid’ were sensitive cultivars to low temperatures. In method of chlorophyll fluorescence, in July 2008 leave samples of each cultivar was gradually incubated in 0, -5, -10, -15 and -20 ° C for one hour at least. Then Fv/Fm value of each sample was measured with fluorescence spectrometer. Results indicated that 0 and -5 ° C had no damage on samples and all cultivars tolerated these temperatures (Fv/Fm> 0.83). When temperature reduced to -10 and -15 ° C the stress on plants increased and ‘Rashid’ showed the lowest Fv/Fm (0.243 and 0.001 respectively) and was the most frost sensitive. Decreasing temperature to -20 °C had no further significant effect on reduction of Fv/Fm index and showed no difference between cultivars. Based on this method, ‘Shengeh’, ‘Gorgan’ and ‘Amphisis’ were tolerant cultivars and ‘Rashid’, ‘Spain’, ‘Manzanilla’ and ‘Kroneiki’ were sensitive cultivars to low temperatures which confirmed the results of visual assessment. Keywords: Chlorophyll fluorescence, Frost resistance, Olive, Visual assessment

The Effects of Foliar Application of Urea, Calcium Nitrate and Boric Acid on Growth and Yield of Greenhouse Cucumber (cv. Khassib)

Naser Nasrolahzadehasl; Mojtaba Delshad; Abdol Karim Kashi

Volume 31, Issue 1 , February 2017, , Pages 1-13

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhorts4.v0i0.22914

Abstract

Introduction: Cucumis sativus L. is one of the most eminent and consuming vegetables which is widely cultivated in the Middle East. Using the controlled and greenhouse cultivation is one of the most appropriate methods to increase production per unit area. In this method, controlling the effective factors ... Read More Introduction: Cucumis sativus L. is one of the most eminent and consuming vegetables which is widely cultivated in the Middle East. Using the controlled and greenhouse cultivation is one of the most appropriate methods to increase production per unit area. In this method, controlling the effective factors of production such as plant nutrition is the important factor to achieve high performance. Besides the accuracy applied in nutritional regulation of plant roots (both in soil and hypothermic environments), in many cases, foliar nutrition is considered by breeder of greenhouse productions. Foliar nutrition is more effective on young leaves, and deficiency of macro and micro nutrients can be removed by this factor. Khassib is one of the most important cultivar of greenhouse cucumber which is widely cultivated in Iran. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of foliar application on greenhouse cucumber. Materials and Methods: The experiment was performed on greenhouse cucumber (cv. Khassib) for five months (from March 2007 to July 2008) in Ziba Dasht Technical Instruction Center which is located near Karaj, Iran. For this reason the experiment was conducted based on split-split-plot design with three replications. Eight experimental treatments were applied for foliar application including U1C1B1: urea + calcium nitrate +boric acid, U1C1B0: urea + calcium nitrate, U1C0B1: urea + boric acid, U1C0B0: urea, U0C1B1: calcium nitrate + boric acid, U0C1B0: calcium nitrate, U0C0B1: boric acid, U0C0B0: control. The effects of urea, calcium nitrate and boric acid in concentrations 3, 10 and 0.5 (gL-1) respectively on qualitative and quantitative characteristics of greenhouse cucumber, including fruit yield, yield of first class fruit, number of fruits, percentage of first class fruit, fruits T.S.S, plant length, percentage of leaf dry matter, and leaf weight ratio were studied. Results and Discussion: The results showed that calcium nitrate had a significant effect on fruit yield at 5% probability level. Foliar application of calcium nitrate with concentration of 10 gL-1resulted in an increase of yield so that the average of fruit yield for sprayed plants was 3917.9 g per plant, while this value in control plants was 3576.5 g. Boric acid with concentration of 0.5 gL-1 had a remarkable effect on fruit yield at 5% probability level that enhanced the average of yield from 3591.6 to 3902.8 g per plant. The interaction of U×C×B treatment on fruit yield at 1% probability level was significant, while this value was not found among other treatments. Foliar application with calcium nitrate results in an increase of yield and production in young and growing fruits. The augmentation of yield in treatment U1C0B0 due to the facts that pure urea and calcium nitrate have 46% and 16% nitrogen, respectively, i.e., extra nitrogen causes toxicity and branching instead of fruiting. Among three-way interactions, U×C×B statistically had a remarkable impact on the yield of first class fruit at 1% probability level and also the maximum and minimum of this value belonged to U1C0B0 and control, respectively. Only U×C×B had a remarkable impact on plant length among all interactions. Generally, the growth of cucumber depends on genetic features, temperature and soil productivity. The highest level of leaf area index was for calcium nitrate that indicated the significant effect at 5 % probability level with the mean of 15.89. When we compare the foliar application treatments with fosamko, it can be found that the spraying treatments affected leaf dry matter significantly at 1% and 5% probability levels, while this value was not found for control treatments. However, there was no significant difference between using and not using nutrition compared to fosamko on yield. Conclusion: According to the findings of the present study the following factors can be concluded: a) Among the main effects, calcium nitrate played the eminent role on most traits, after that boric acid and finally urea carried this role; b) Among two-way interaction, only U1B1, as foliar application, significantly affected the yield of grade 1 fruit; c) Among three-way interactions, only U1C0B0, as foliar application, significantly affected the yield of grade 1 fruit, total fruit and the number of fruit; d) There was no a significant change on qualitative features of cucumber using nutrition compared to fosamko. Therefore, cucumber production can be performed by cheaper methods with no change in qualitative characteristics. Finally, due to the fact that cucumber is one of the most important vegetables in Iran, it is suggested that various studies with different fertilizers will be conducted on cucumber.

Research Article Medicinal Plants

The Study on the Effect of Different LED Light Wavelength on Growth, Mycelial Biomass and Secondary Metabolits in Monascus purpureus

Atefeh Bakherad; majid azizi

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 10 March 2021

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2021.59962.0

Abstract

Introduction: the capacity to sense and respond to light is widespread in animals, plants, fungi and bacteria. In nature, light is one of most crucial environmental signals for developmental and physiological processes in various organisms, including filamentous fungi. The ability to sense light is crucial ... Read More Introduction: the capacity to sense and respond to light is widespread in animals, plants, fungi and bacteria. In nature, light is one of most crucial environmental signals for developmental and physiological processes in various organisms, including filamentous fungi. The ability to sense light is crucial for many organisms determining timing and modality of development and orienting primary and secondary metabolic processes. Due to the increased number of sequenced fungal genomes, numerous genes encoding proteins involved in light sensing and downstream gene regulation have been identified. This expedited understanding the mechanisms by which the fungus activates physiological and morphological reactions in response to light. One of the One of these fungi is the Monascus purpureus. the genus Monascus was classified in the family Monascaceae, but based on recent genome sequencing, it seems that the genus is more closely associated with the genus Aspergillus, and thus should be reclassified in the Aspergillaceae family. The fungus Monascus is the most famous for production of pigments and monacolins; however, it can also form other metabolites – citrinin, dimerumic acid, and GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid). Formation of particular metabolites depends on the strain and cultivation conditions. Monascus pigments (MPs) as natural food colorants have been widely utilized in food industries in the world, especially in China and Japan. Moreover, MPs possess a range of biological activities, such as anti-mutagenic and anticancer properties, antimicrobial activities, potential anti-obesity activities, and so on. So, in the past two decades, more and more attention has been paid to MPs. In this study, the effect of different LED light spectra on growth and secondary metabolites of Monascus purpureus is studied.Material and methods: In this study, in order to investigate the effect of light quality on growth rate, biomass and pigment production in Monascus purpureus, this fungus was cultivated under dark conditions and three light, white, red and blue LEDs and harvested in three times (seventh, tenth and fourteenth days) To measure the amount of pigment in the liquid medium. To measure the radial growth rate and biomass weight, a solid medium was used. Also, the absorbance of the samples was measured in 410, 470, and 510 nm wavelengths for yellow, orange and red pigments,respectively, using a spectrophotometric device.Results: The results of this study shows that there is a significant correlation between pigment and optical spectra, so that the highest amount of pigment (yellow, orange, red) was obtained in terms of darkness, with values of 0.344, 0.291, 0.249, respectively. There was no significant difference between harvest time and pigment content except for red color on day 10 in dark conditions, with a value of 0.249. The smallest amount of pigment is also related to the red pigment produced on the 14th day in the blue light spectrum with an absorption of 0.009. Also, the highest radial growth rate was observed in the dark condition with a mean growth of 5.12 mm / day and the lowest radial growth was related to the cultivation of monascus under the blue light spectrum with an average growth of 2.61 mm / day. However, there was no significant difference between biomass and light in solid media. The highest amount of biomass in the liquid medium was 0.126 g in 40 ml of culture medium with monascus culture in dark conditions on day 14 and the lowest amount of biomass was also obtained with 0.068 g in 40 ml of culture medium in white light on the seventh day.Concolusion: The results showed that, in addition to factors such as carbon source, nitrogen source, PH, temperature, minerals, partial pressure of oxygen, other microorganisms, light is also an important environmental factor for development and physiological processes in Monascus purpureus. According to this study, the growth of this fungus in the dark causes increased cell growth, the amount of biomass and pigment, these results indicate that the lack of light stimulates the growth and production of secondary metabolites in this fungus. Although there was no significant difference between pigment value and harvest time, except for the red pigment, but due to the slight difference in pigmentation on the 10th day of cultivation in dark conditions, it can be deduced that the best conditions for producing the highest amount of pigment, cultivation of Monascus fungus under conditions The darkness and harvest of this mushroom is on the tenth day of cultivation. Also, among pigments produced by this fungus, the amount of yellow pigment production in different light conditions is higher than other pigments. Chen, M. H. & Johns, M. R. (1993) shows that the solid-state yielded greater amount of pigment9,8 compared to submerged fermentation. This phenomenon had been attributed to the pigment because of low solubility in the fermentation medium and pigment accumulation within the mycelium in submerged culture10. In contrast, in solid-state fermentation, the Monascus sp penetrated into solid substrate and pigment released onto the surface. Solid state not only issued nutrient, but also acted as anchorage for cells, this may have bestowed to the celebrated eminent productivity. Solid state environment is similar to environment of fungi which was normally excited. Therefore, it is suggested that in subsequent studies, to achieve maximum pigment, a solid culture medium should be used.

Research Article Medicinal Plants

Flowering Study and Effect of Various Hand Pollination Methods on Fertility of Some Iranian Native Salvia Species

Ghasem Esmaeili; hossein arouiee; Jamil Vaezi

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 10 March 2021

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2021.61510.0

Abstract

Introduction: The genus Salvia L. (Lamiaceae) is one of the most interesting plant genera with a variety of annual, biennial, perennial and shrub forms. According to recent reports, there are 61 species of Salvia genus in Iran, among which 18 species are endemic. The use of Salvia species dates back ... Read More Introduction: The genus Salvia L. (Lamiaceae) is one of the most interesting plant genera with a variety of annual, biennial, perennial and shrub forms. According to recent reports, there are 61 species of Salvia genus in Iran, among which 18 species are endemic. The use of Salvia species dates back to ancient times, and they are now being used for different purposes such as antimicrobial, anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, tonic, carminative, digestive, Alzheimer’s disease, antispasmodic as well as for traditional medicines and food industries. Compared to crop plants, the breeding programs of medicinal plants are still in nascent stages due to high biological and biochemical variations. Since breeding programs, especially in medicinal plants, are expensive, suitable mating can help reduce the costs of breeding programs. Understanding the flowering biology, reproductive systems and pollination mechanism is essential to management and protection of ecosystems and mating programs. Despite the high diversity of Salvia genus in Iran, there is a paucity of studies on reproductive biology.Materials and methods: seeds of seven Salvia species including S. virgata (with four accessions), S. frigida, S. nemorosa, S. atropatana, S. macrosiphon, S. sclarea, and S. syriaca were collected from different geographical regions. The seeds were treated by various methods such as washing, cold treatment (stratification), scarification (sand and sulfuric acid), Gibberellic acid (GA3) and KNO3 to enhance germination. The seedlings were produced at the greenhouse and after growing as high as 15 cm or reaching the10-leaf stage, the seedlings were transferred to the farm. Plants phenology and flowering duration were recorded in the second year. Furthermore, some flower characteristics and pollinator were monitored. The Various pollination treatments were designed to investigate the breeding system of Salvia species including open pollination, spontaneous autogamy, geitonogamy, xenogamy, apomixis, and control. The self-incompatibility index (ISI) was calculated for each species in different pollination treatment.Results and discussion: The germination study exhibited that washing seeds for 24 h and applying 250 ppm GA3 exerted the highest effect on seed germination. The seedlings in early growth stages required medium to high porosity (high permeability to water and air) like natural habitat, but they were sensitive to dry and high EC at these stages. The phenology studies were shown Salvia virgata (all accessions) and S. nemorosa flowered three months after cultivation and other species flowered in the second year. The results showed that all species had long flowering periods ranging from 15 (S. atropatana) to 41 days (S. virgata). Increased flowering period led to the enhancement of flower over-lapping and the sharing of the pollen among different plants or species. Two species including S. atropatana and S. syriaca had heterostyly flowers (long-styled morph). The staminal-lever-mechanism was observed in all species. The results of manual pollination indicated that open pollination provided the best treatment with the highest average of seed set (73.63%) in all species. Salvia virgata (A1) with a seed set of 90.3% was the best species, and S. syriaca with a seed set of 51.5% demonstrated the poorest performance in open pollination system. The seed set in the xenogamy treatment of different species and accessions was in the range of 10.2 (S. syriaca) to 32.5% (S. frigida). It was observed that seed set among different species in geitonogamy and spontaneous autogamy varied widely from 2.60 - 17.30% and 2.98 - 12.18%, respectively. In treatments with a wide variety of pollen sources, the fruit set was higher, indicating that the pollen limitation triggered low seed set.Conclusion: Salvia species in the present study have a high potential for cultivation as medicinal and ornamental due to suitable adaptability and long flowering period. Salvia species were relatively self-incompatible that intention to the out-crossing and breeders can use in breeding programs as a valuable characteristic. The self-incompatible and specific structure in flower and pollination are the reasons for the diversity of this taxa.

Research Article Medicinal Plants

The Impact of LED Spectrum and Supplementary Lighting Duration on Some Physiological Traits and Hypericin content of Hypericum perforatum

ELAHE GHAFOOREAN HOZORI ISFAHAN

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 10 March 2021

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2021.61538.0

Abstract

IntroductionMedicinal plant are very importnat in health care for today societies and the need for it is increasing. Greenhouse production of transplants face different limitations including light. LED lights are introduced for solving the problem. An LED lamp or LED light bulb is ... Read More IntroductionMedicinal plant are very importnat in health care for today societies and the need for it is increasing. Greenhouse production of transplants face different limitations including light. LED lights are introduced for solving the problem. An LED lamp or LED light bulb is an electric light for use in light fixtures that produces light using one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs). LED lamps have a lifespan many times longer than equivalent incandescent lamps, and are significantly more efficient than most fluorescent lamps. Experiments revealed surprising performance and production of vegetables and ornamental plants under LED light sources. Many plant species have been assessed in greenhouse trials to make sure that the quality of biomass and biochemical ingredients of such plants is at least comparable with those grown in field conditions. Plant performance of mint, basil, lentil, lettuce, cabbage, parsley and carrot was measured by assessing both the health and vigor of the plants and the success of the LEDs in promoting growth. Also noticed was profuse flowering of select ornamentals including primula, marigold and stock.Materials and Methods In order to investigate the effect of supplementary LED light on the growth parameters and the amount of active ingredient in Hypericum perforatum L. “Topaz” cultivar, a research was conducted in two independent experiments. The research was set up in a completely randomized design with three replications. The first experiment experienced the extended of day length with 4 hours at the end of the day (started from sunrise to sunset). LED treatments were started at 10 cm height of the transplants. The second experiment examined the light types. In this order the considered treatments consisted of four levels of red light (L1), blue light (L2), combination of 67% red light and 33% blue light (L3), white (L4), 100% natural light(L5), with an intensity equal to (200 fc). Measurement of traits in the first experiment was carried out at flowering stage. Aerial part fresh and dry weights, number of black nodes, days to flowering, leaf area, total chlorophyll, antioxidant activity, total phenol, plant height and hypericine percentage were determined within both experiments.Results and Discussion The results showed that the simple effect of supplementary combination red and blue light (started from sunrise to sunset) on growth, morphological, physiological and biochemical traits was significant at 1% probability level. The highest plant dry weight was detected in L3 in the first and second harvests respectively (8.63 g, 66.29 g). Also, the highest percentage of Hypericine in the first harvest was obtained for L3 (0.17%). Measurement of the traits in the second experiment was carried out at the seedling stage. Results showed that the simple effect of supplementary combination light (sun exposure and day length increased for 4 hours) had a significant effect (p≤0.01) on growth rate, physiological, morphological and biochemical properties. So that the lowest number of days to flowering (early flowering) was obtained from L3 treatment (101 day), and the highest percentage of Hypericin was related to L3 treatment (0.156%). Black node numbers and total phenol content were increased by 27 and 53 % with supplementary light treatments respectively. Antioxidant activity was also raised and enhanced from 33 % to 75 % with LED light application. Plant height and total chlorophyll content were enhanced from 13 to 23 cm and 12 to 22 mg/g FW as well. Regarding studied traits and the obtained results of the both experiments, the positive effect of applying LED light, red and blue on the growth and biochemical properties, especially the Hypericine percentage and yield of St. John’s wort is quite evident.Different reactions were observed in response to supplementary light treatments for St. John’s wort. Most of the enhancements observed were mainly due to optimized photosynthesis activities and more metabolic production processes.Conclusions Regarding studied traits and the obtained results of the both experiments, the positive effect of applying LED light, red and blue on the growth and biochemical properties, especially the Hypericine percentage and yield of St. John’s wort is quite evident. It seems that a combination of red and blue light could be suggested for solving the light limitations and increasing the medicinal plant production for future.Keywords: Supplementry light, light quality, Hypericum perforatum, Hypericine

Research Article Medicinal Plants

Study of Allelopathic Properties of Saffron Fields and Methods of Its Ameliorate

mahdieh kheirabadi; M. Azizi

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 10 March 2021

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2021.61772.0

Abstract

Introduction: The allelopathic potential of saffron in three experiments were investigated.Materials and Methods: In this study, we examined the aqueous and aqueous methanol extract of saffron (Crocus sativus L.), 9-year-saffron cultivated soils and non-saffron cultivated soils. Activated carbon and ... Read More

Research Article Medicinal Plants

Study of Essential Oils Changes and Some Biochemical Properties of Ziziphora clinopodioides Lam. Under Application of Salicylic Acid

Somayeh Sadeghifard; Majid Azizi; Sara Karimi

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 05 April 2021

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2021.59045.0

Abstract

Introduction: Growth regulators play a vital role in developmental stages of plants and their use can be improved the yield of crops. One of the most important compounds that used as growth regulators in recent years is Salicylic acid. The application of salicylic acid in the activation of systemic acquired ... Read More Introduction: Growth regulators play a vital role in developmental stages of plants and their use can be improved the yield of crops. One of the most important compounds that used as growth regulators in recent years is Salicylic acid. The application of salicylic acid in the activation of systemic acquired resistance, and metabolite synthesis and antioxidant enzymes has been proved. Also, salicylic acid as a natural compound has potential to prevent ethylene production and its effect. In order to evaluate the effect of salicylic acid in different concentration on yield and oils content of Ziziphora, a split plot experiment with three replications during 2014-2015 in the farm of Agricultural Faculty of Shirvan and Ferdowsi University of Mashhad laboratories was conducted.Material and Methods:This research was conducted during 2014-2015 in field conditions in a split plot design in time,at Shirvan Agricultural Research Station(latitude º40 / 37, longitude º93 / 57 and with a height of 1097 m above sea level) and in labrovatory Department of Horticultural Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. Each plot had an area of 4 square meters in furrow planting way which the distance between rows were 50 cm and on rows 15 cm and were carried out on 25 March 2014. IMediately after planting, irrigation was done, and after 20 days which the seeds germinated as well, second irrigation was done. Irrigation and weed controls also be done manually once a week. Salicylic acid (Sigma Aldrich, 99.5%) in the three phases of plant growth (vegetative growth, during vegetative growth and flowering time), at concentrations (0, 10-2, 10-4 and 10-6 M) in three repeats were sprayed. The first spraying (the growth)on 3 April 2014, the second spraying (during growth) on 4 May and the third one (at the time of flowering) was conducted in early June 2014. Plant harvesting was done on 20 July. In order to measure the dry weight of plants, the samples were dried for a week in shade condition. Essential oil content was determined using 30 grams dry sample in 500 ml of water by hydrodistillation using Clevenger for 4. For biochemical characteristics first samples extract were obtained. To prepare extracts, dry samples were milled then one gram of each sample was transferred to the 50 ml Erlen and 10 ml of 80%methanol was added and shaked for 24 hours. After 24 hours the extract was filtered using filter paper then used for measuring phenols, flavonoids and antioxidant activity. Phenol measurment: phenolic content was measured using the Folin reagent. In 5.0 mL of each extract (10 milligrams per ml) 5.2 ml Folin reagent was added. After 5 minutes, 300 ml of a molar solution of sodium carbonate is added and for 30 minutes in a bath that was 40 °C. The sample absorbance at 760 nm was measured by a spectrophotometer against the blank. Gallic acid was used as the standard for calibration curve. Flavonoids measurement: Flavonoid content of the samples were measured using aluminum chloride reagent. In 5.0 ml of methanol extract (10 milligrams per ml), 5.1 ml of methanol, 1.0 ml of 10% aluminum chloride, 1.0 ml of a molar potassium acetate and 8.2 ml of distilled water was added. The mixture kept in dark for 30 minutes and absorbance at a wavelength of 415 nm was read against the blank. Quercetin was used as the standard for calibration curve evaluation. JMP statistical software was used to analyze the data.Results and Discussion: Based on the results application of salicylic acid affect fresh and dry weight, plant height, phenol and flavonoid content significantly ( P

Research Article Medicinal Plants

The effect of superabsorbent polymer on quantitative and qualitative characteristics of valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.) under drought stress

Majid Azizi; sonayye beigi; Zeynab safaei; Meysam Mansouri

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 05 April 2021

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2021.59445.0

Abstract

IntroductionMedicinal plants are economical important plants that are used in traditional medicine and industry as raw or processed materials. Valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.) is one of the important medicinal plants which belong to Valerianaceae family. The valerian rhizome and roots have been considered ... Read More IntroductionMedicinal plants are economical important plants that are used in traditional medicine and industry as raw or processed materials. Valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.) is one of the important medicinal plants which belong to Valerianaceae family. The valerian rhizome and roots have been considered as a valuable medicinal plant that essential oil content (between 0.1 to 2 percent) varied according to climatic conditions of production location. Valerian needs a lot of water during the growth period and enough moisture around the roots and rhizome increase root yield. Iran is located in arid and semi-arid region. If the least water requirement of plant does not provide, plant face to drought stress and irreparable damage is imported to the product. Nowadays, the use of superabsorbent polymers is one of the ways to increase irrigation efficiency. They are made of hydrocarbons, can store high water or aqueous solutions in root zone of plants and to reduce negative effects of drought stress. So, improvement of plant growth, increasing of irrigation intervals, reducing water loss and costs of irrigation are due to application of superabsorbent polymers. Generally, water efficiency, dry matter production and root development, are positive reactions to the use of superabsorbent. In this regard, Stockosorb® copolymer is potassium-based nutrients that have a high ability to absorb water and nutrients and high strength polymer maintained the water has been proven. The aims of this investigation were to study the effects of Stockosorb® hydrophilic polymers, on some morphological (root dry weight and yield, leaf area), biochemical (chlorophyll a, b), physiological (electrolyte leakage, leaf relative water content) characteristics and essential oil content and yield of valerian under drought stress.Materials and MethodsThis research was conducted in field (1×1 m2) at Department of Horticultural Science‚ College of Agriculture‚ Ferdowsi University of Mashhad. The research was set out in a factorial experiment on the basis of completely randomized block design. The Stockosorb® hydrophilic polymer at four concentrations (0, 100, 200, 300 gr/m2) and two irrigation period (6 and 10 day) with three replications were set as treatments and leaf area, root dry weight and yield, chlorophyll a, b, electrolyte leakage, leaf relative water content and essential oil content and yield were evaluated at the end of the growth period. The seeds of Valeriana officinalis were sown in protected open field for seedling production and the seedling were transplanted to the field at four-leaf stage (12 plant per plot). Stockosorb® mixed with soil, after weighing the polymers based on determined concentration. After seedling establishment, all plots were irrigated with a determined amount and equal of water.Results and DiscussionThe results showed, using Stockosorb® superabsorbent polymer be useful for water supply the plant in water stress condition. Application of this substance on some morphological, biochemical and physiological characteristics and valerian essential oil, was significant at 1% and superior to the control. According to the results obtained, Stockosorb® 300gr/m2 with irrigation period 6 day interval, increased leaf area, root dry yield, leaf relative water content, chlorophyll a and essential oil yield. While, the highest valerian root dry weight and essential oil content were obtained with application of Stockosorb® 200gr/m2 and irrigation period of 6 days interval. The highest electrolyte leakage was related to control and irrigation period 10 days interval and the maximum chlorophyll b was belonged to Stockosorb® 100 gr/m2 with irrigation period 10 days interval.ConclusionSince final goal in cultivation of valerian as other essential oil bearing plants is providing the best conditions for increasing the yield and quantity of essential oil at the same time, according to the results of this study superabsorbent polymer in higher concentrations and less irrigation period, controlled the drought stress and improved all measured characteristics. The highest root dry weight under drought stress was related to more accessible and preservatives water in the root zone and it found by using the middle concentrations (200 gr/m2) super absorbent polymer and irrigation period shorter (6 day). Using of mentioned treatments, according to the middle water stress, leads to increased valerian essential oil. The best root dry yield and essential oil yield, with sufficient amounts of water and better growth conditions were achieved by application of 300 gr/m2 Stockosorb® and irrigation period 6 days interval. In general, superabsorbent polymer was able to increase irrigation period and this was evident in qualitative and quantitative results related to the valerian in the treatment of 300 gr/m2 with irrigation period 10 day and 100 gr/m2 of polymer 6 day irrigation period.

Research Article Medicinal Plants

Optimizing the in vitro culture for callus induction of Iranian Hypericum perforatum L.

manizhe abdollahpoor; Majid Azizi; Siamak Kalantari; Yusef Ali Saadat

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 05 April 2021

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2021.59629.0

Abstract

Introduction Hypericum perforatum L. is an important medicinal plant that used for depression treatment. In vitro regeneration has been successfully achieved for many Hypericum species from a range of explants sources with different growth regulators. Recent studies have demonstrated that in vitro culture ... Read More Introduction Hypericum perforatum L. is an important medicinal plant that used for depression treatment. In vitro regeneration has been successfully achieved for many Hypericum species from a range of explants sources with different growth regulators. Recent studies have demonstrated that in vitro culture is an option for multiplication of different Hypericum species. With consideration this notice that tissue culture can provide an affordable alternative method for propagation with high speed to production of intensive plant material as well as suitable materials for breeding programs of H. perforatum, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of explant types (leaf and stem), plant growth regulators (2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA), Benzyl Adenine (BA) and Kinetin (Kin)), light (dark and weak light), media culture (MS medium and MS medium with B5 vitamins) and poly vinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) on callus induction in H. perforatum at in vitro culture condition. Materials and Methods For preparation of sterile plantlets, the seeds of Iranian H. perforatum (Azadshahr population) were cultured in 1.2 MS growth regulator free-media. For investigation the callus induction of Iranian H. perforatum the leaf and stem explants of in vitro obtained plantlets were used. Explants were cultured in different concentrations of 2,4-D (0.2, 0.5 and 1 mg l-1) with two kinds of cytokines BA and Kin (0.2, 0.5 and 1 mg l-1) as well as 1 mg l-1 NAA. For browning control of calli the effects of light (dark and weak light), media culture (MS medium and MS medium with B5 vitamins) and four concentrations of poly vinyl pyrrolidone (0, 50, 100 and 200 mg l-1) were also surveyed. Results and Discussion Callus cultures could be used for cell suspension initiation, studying of their morphogenetic potential and screening of secondary metabolite proﬁle. In present study the response of two H. perforatum explants (leaf and stem) to different levels and combinations of auxins and cytokinins were tested. The callus induction in both studied explants (leaf and stem) was just observed in supplemented media with plant growth regulators. The calli of leaf explants were showed better growth in dark and the highest callus fresh weight was obtained in 0.25 mg l-1 2,4-D + 1 mg l-1 Kin and 0.5 mg l-1 2.4-D + 1 mg l-1 BA. Of the various concentrations and combination of growth regulators, the minimum response about callus induction was observed in the presence of 1 mg l-1 2, 4-D in combination with 1 mg l-1 NAA. The obtained calli got browning shortly after induction. The investigation of light effect on callus quantity and quality showed that not only light did not affect the callus induction and callus browning but also reduced the callus growth. The highest callus fresh weight was obtained in 100 mg l-1 poly vinyl pyrrolidone in leaf explant. Few species within the genus Hypericum have been used to produce callus. In H. perforatum seedling, different explants such as shoot apical meristem, stem segments and leaves were used for callus induction. In H. erectum callus induction was obtained by culturing seedlings in the presence of Indole Acetic Acid (IAA) and BA under darkness. The combination of cytokinins and auxins did not support callus growth of H. brasiliense and callus of nodal explants was only obtained in the presence of 2,4-D or NAA using either MS or B5 medium. These differences among literatures can be due to different cultivars, culture conditions, explant type and medium composition.Conclusion The plant growth regulators is necessary for callus induction in Iranian H. perforatum and leaf is suitable for this purpose. The light intensity and poly vinyl pyrrolidone did not control the browning of of H. perforatum calli.

Research Article Postharvest physiology

Comparative Study of Short and Long-term Treatments of Nanosilver, Salicylic Acid and Essential Oils on Some of Gerbera ‘Rosalin’ Traits

Mahroo Sadat Motaghayer; Majid Azizi; Ali Tehranifar

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 05 April 2021

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2021.60101.0

Abstract

Introduction: Gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii Bolus, Asteraceae) commonly known as Transvaal Daisy, is one of the ten most popular and important commercial cut flowers. Gerbera is a perennial, tropical, herbaceous plant with colorful and attractive flowers that are widely used as a decorative garden plant ... Read More Introduction: Gerbera (Gerbera jamesonii Bolus, Asteraceae) commonly known as Transvaal Daisy, is one of the ten most popular and important commercial cut flowers. Gerbera is a perennial, tropical, herbaceous plant with colorful and attractive flowers that are widely used as a decorative garden plant or cut flowers. The most important problem of the gerbera cut flowers is short vase life. The end of vase life of cut gerbera flowers is often due to bending of the scape. The aim of this study was to screen the effects of nanosilver and salicylic acid as pulse treatment and sucrose and thyme, clove and peppermint essential oils as permanent treatment on vase life and some physiological and biochemical traits of gerbera ‘Rosalin’ cut flowers.Materials and Methods: This study was conducted as a factorial experiment based on completely randomized design with three replications. The first factor was pulse treatments using nanosilver (NS) 5 and 10 mg/L (Nanocid Company, Iran), salicylic acid (SA) 50 and 100 mg/L (Merck Company) and distilled water as control, and the second factor was permanent treatments applying distilled water, sucrose 4% (Merck Company), peppermint (100 mg/L), thyme (100 mg/L) and clove (300 mg/L) essential oils (EO) (Zardband Company, Iran). Pulse treatments were applied for 24 h. Treated stems were then stood into vases containing permanent treatments. Vase solutions were freshly prepared at the beginning of the experiment and not renewed during of the study. The measured traits were: flower vase life, flower water content (WC), relative fresh weight (RFW), water loss (WL), water uptake (WU), total soluble solid (TSS), superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) amount (Biovision Colorimetric Assay Kit, USA). The experiment was conducted in the laboratory at 20-22°C, 40-50% RH, and 15 µmol/m2s light intensity (cool white florescent tubes) under a daily light period of 12 hours. The obtained data were analyzed using MSTAT-C program and mean comparison was done using LSD range test.Results and Discussion: The results showed that NS 10 mg/L with thyme EO 100 mg/L (14.25 days) and NS 10 mg/L followed by peppermint EO 100 mg/L (14 days) had the best effect on longevity and maintaining the water content of gerbera cv. ‘Rosalin’ cut flower, compare to other treatments. Flower WC was high (about 90%) except in 4% sucrose permanent treatment flowers which had negative effect and decreased more rapidly during the vase life period. Despite of antimicrobial preservative application, RFW, WU, WL and TSS generally had a decreasing trend during the experiment. However, it was observed that flowers treated by NS 10 mg/L (0.86 g/g) and thyme (0.77 g/g) and peppermint (0.72 g/g) EOs had the most RFW on the eighth day of experiment, but 4% sucrose (0.59 g/g) permanent treatment reduced RFW during cut flower vase life. The highest WU was respectively observed in SA 100 mg/L (67.28 g), NS 5 (61.31 g) and 10 mg/L (60.35 g) on the second day. According to the results of this research, pulsing by NS 5 and 10 mg/L and SA 100 mg/L resulted in the the most WL on day two (64.24, 57.85 and 64.95 g respectively). TSS of the cut flowers decreased with time, however reduction rates were delayed in SA and NS treated flowers. On the eighth day of experiment, long-term treatment showed the most effect on TSS amount. Flowers treated by NS 10 mg/L followed by 4% sucrose and peppermint EO treatment had the highest TSS amount, respectively 3.50 and 3.17 Bx. As the time passed, the activities of SOD enzyme increased, however, treated flowers showed significantly higher SOD activity compared to the control. Especially NS 10 mg/L pulse treatment, followed by thyme and peppermint EOs, indicated by the highest amounts (241.43% and 233.94%) of SOD activity on seveth day of the experiment. During the experiment, MDA increased in the flowers, so that the highest amount of MDA was detected in control (67.30%) on the seventh day and the lowest was produced in NS 10 mg/L treated flowers followed by thyme (14.88%) and peppermint (19.44%) EOs. Due to the fact that these treatments had the best effects on flower vase life, these results are logical.Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, new antimicrobial agents such as NS, thyme and peppermint EOs had a positive effect on flower vase life, WC, RFW and WU and reduced the rate of WL and TSS reduction in flowers. It might be due to this fact that these are very effective antimicrobial agents, inhibited the microbial growth and prevented bacterial plugging in conducting tissues. NS particles enter to cell, tissue and organs, so they can inhibit the respiration and electron transfer system and material transfer in microbial cell membrane. The application of natural phenolic compound like EOs reduced the accumulation of MDA and enhanced SOD enzyme activity. Therefore, due to the undesirable results of chemical preservative on human and environmental health, EOs can be very good substitutes for preserving cut flowers postharvest life.

Research Article Medicinal Plants

Medium Optimization for Callus Induction, Shoot Regeneration and Rooting of Hypericum perforatum from Stem and Leaf Explants

Negin Afsharzadeh; m azizi; Leila Samiei

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 05 April 2021

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2021.60331.0

Abstract

Introduction Hypericum perforatum is a perennial plant that has been used in traditional medicine. H. perforatum have several types of medicinal compounds including antiviral compounds, antioxidants, flavonoides and also has valuable compounds such as Hypericin, Hyperforin, Pseudo-hypericin and xanthones ... Read More Introduction Hypericum perforatum is a perennial plant that has been used in traditional medicine. H. perforatum have several types of medicinal compounds including antiviral compounds, antioxidants, flavonoides and also has valuable compounds such as Hypericin, Hyperforin, Pseudo-hypericin and xanthones that have effect on human physiology. Aerial parts of H. perforatum are dotted with dark glands that appear as black or red nodules. Black glands were known as localization of secondary metabolites. as a consequence of the commercial potential of this species attempts have been at plant improvement by application of in vitro culture methods. Among seedling explants of H. perforatum, it appears that roots are superior for shoot regeneration. It is generally accepted that explants source is an important factor r successful establishment of tissue culture in many cases. Production of secondary metabolites via plant cell and tissue culture yields various advantage es, including standardization and quality. These criteria are also valid for the main economically important chemical in st. John’s wort, namely hypericin, pseudo hypericin and hyperforin. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectof some tissue cultures on plant Callogenesis, regeneration and also, study the effect of cytokinin and auxin on rooting rate and shoot multiplication. Materials and Methods: This research included two experiments; first experiment plan was a completely randomized in the form of a factorial. Second experiment plan was completely ranom.first part of experiment : this part were conducted with two explants, leaf and shoot ,maintained in light and dark condition. Shoot explants were derived from sterile seedlings that was obtained from seeds were cultured on MS medium. Seeds were decontaminated by NaClO 20% (V/V) for 20 min and were washed with sterile deionized water. Leaf explants were derived from seedlings in the in vivo condition and decontaminated by NaClO 20% (V/V) for 20 min then washed with sterile deionized water. Both of explants cultured on MS media supplemented with BA(3 and 4 mg/l) and 2,4-D (0, 1 and 2.5 mg/l). Callogenesis and regeneration was measured after 4 weeks.Second part of experiment: shoot of indirect regeneration for rooting study, were cultured on ½ MS media supplemented with BA (0 and 5/0 mg/l) and IBA (0 and 1 mg/l). Proliferation, shoot and root length were measured after 4 and 8 weeks.Results and Discussion:Effects of the factors on first part of experiment; calluses of shoot and leaf explants were induced after 4 weeks. Shoot explants Medium supplemented with 4 mg/l BA and 2.5 mg/l 2, 4-D showed 95% Callogenesis. Leaf explants Medium supplemented with 3 mg/l BA and 2.5 mg/l 2, 4-D showed 98% Callogenesis. Shoot explants Medium supplemented with BA 3 mg/l showed 62% regeneration and leaf explants Medium supplemented with BA 4 mg/l showed 8% regeneration.For second part of experiments; root induction on half strength medium without hormone and medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l BA and 1 mg/l IBA had highest rooting frequencies. Average of root length was registered 5.25 cm. half strength medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l BA had 100% and also, medium with 0.5 mg/l BA and 1 mg/l IBA had 86% shoot multiplication and were not appeared any roots. Average Shoot length on medium without hormone and medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/l BA and 1 mg/l IBA was registered 6.24 cm and in media with 0.5 mg/l BA and 1 mg/l IBA was registered 1.8 cm. based on result of this experiments, the concentration levels of the two hormone BA and 2, 4-D in the induction of calli formation and regeneration of the H. perforatum have been effective. In the second experiment, hormone BA, in the absence of IBA did not cause rooting and increased the degree of shoots and ultimately proliferation was effective. Also, in treatment with 0.5 mg/l BA and 1 mg/l IBA, although the concentration of cytokinin was less than auxin, rooting was not done. conclusionThe goal of this study was to introduce the suitable medium for Callogenesis and regeneration of H. perforatum for production and breeding aims. Tissue and cell culture methods are used for various purposes. The result of each section can be used effectively in research topics, including corrective tests, processes for increasing secondary metabolites, as well as increasing commercial products. Therefore, by introducing efficient and effective methods, it is possible to increase the production of plants by micropropagation in less time.

Research Article Growing vegetables

Improving the Growth and Yield of Tomato (Cv. 240) under the Cover of Supplementary Light and Nutrition

Ladan Ajdanian; hossein arouiee; Majid azizi

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 05 April 2021

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2021.60433.0

Abstract

Introduction: As an artificial light source, LED bulbs can help to grow better and faster greenhouse products. Meanwhile, blue and red light are important for plant growth. The quality of light in terms of color and wavelength can affect the morphological structure of the plants. Therefore, the use of ... Read More Introduction: As an artificial light source, LED bulbs can help to grow better and faster greenhouse products. Meanwhile, blue and red light are important for plant growth. The quality of light in terms of color and wavelength can affect the morphological structure of the plants. Therefore, the use of additional lights in winter, when light exposure is less than normal, can improve plant growth and flowering. It is also advisable to change the quality of light by using artificial light sources in controlled environments such as greenhouses in order to change the quantity and quality of agricultural products, especially the fruits of the fruit.Materials and Methods: In this research, the effect of complementary light and nutrition (commercial Calfomyth solution containing high calcium phosphorus and calcium elements along with micronutrient elements) as a pot experiment under non-soil culture conditions in the greenhouse, in the form of split-based plots experiment A completely randomized design with 3 light treatments including: natural light (control), 60% red light + 40% light blue and 90% red light + 10% blue light, and 2 nutritional treatments including: non-spraying with commercial fertilizer, Calfomyth and spraying A concentration of 2,000 in 3 replicates was established and implemented. The traits that were studied in this experiment are: 1- leaf number (count of leaves), 2- plant height by meter, with accuracy 0.01 m, 3- diameter with caliber with accuracy 0.01 mm, 4- Number of flowers (counting), 5- Time of flowering until the product reaches (counting the number of days), 6- Performance: Whole and red ripe fruits were planted and weighed separately from the total fruit weight Per plant was obtained in grams per plant. Statistical analysis was performed using JMP8 software and comparison of meanings was done using LSD test at 1% and 5% probability level.Results and Discussion: The results showed that the application of additional light on fruit yield, stem diameter and plant height, yield time and leaf number (p≤0.05) were significant. Spraying with Calfomyth could have a significant effect on stem diameter and number of leaves. In the traits such as fruit yield, number of flowers and leaves, the interaction effect of feeding and supplementary light was also significant. The highest number of leaves belonged to 60% red + 40% blue treatment, as well as spraying with Calfomyth (118), the highest number of flowers (50) was related to 90% red + 10% blue and Calfomyth treatment, and the smallest number ( 15) was related to control treatment. Also, the highest yield (3553 g of fruit per plant) was obtained in Calfomyth treatment with 90% red + 10% blue treatment and the lowest yield (434 g fruit per plant) The control was light and non-foliar treatment. Although light is an important source of photosynthesis, photosynthesis can also be related to a series of optical regulators and optical sensors. Blue and red light cause different optical sensors and expression of genes, each of which can have a positive or negative effect on plant growth and development. Therefore, it can be concluded that the presence of both wavelengths (blue and red) is necessary for conducting, and for this reason, more research is now focused on achieving an appropriate optical composition.Conclusions: In this research, all of the morphological traits examined in the tomato plant were subjected to additional exposure by LED bulbs, each of which had a special effect on their receptors in the plant. Maximize growth and yield in the plant. As expected, blue light on vegetative traits and red light were more effective on reproductive traits. It can be said that the existence of both wavelengths (blue and red) is essential for the better and complete growth of the plant. In addition to the positive effect of wavelengths, the positive effect of leaf spraying can also be observed, which, along with the neodymium, could improve growth. The results of this study showed that the performance and growth under the cover of LED light (red and blue combination) were superior to natural conditions. Therefore, it could be suggested that the use of these lamps, as well as spraying with Calfomyth commercial fertilizer, could be feasible for better production in controlled conditions (greenhouse).It seems that application of complementary lights with proper nutrition can improve the performance and growth of tomato plants in greenhouse conditions.

Research Article Medicinal Plants

The Study of Micromorphological and Essential oil Analysis of Nepeta binaloudensis and Nepeta cataria (Lamiaceae)

Fatemehzahra Amirmohammadi; Majid azizi

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 05 April 2021

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2021.60692.0

Abstract

IntroductionThe Nepeta is one of the largest genus of Nepetoide subfamily, in the Lamiaceae family with about 79 species in Iran. Most of the species are perennial rarely annual with different vegetative forms, leaves covered with trichome. Glandular trichomes are widely distributed all over the aerial ... Read More IntroductionThe Nepeta is one of the largest genus of Nepetoide subfamily, in the Lamiaceae family with about 79 species in Iran. Most of the species are perennial rarely annual with different vegetative forms, leaves covered with trichome. Glandular trichomes are widely distributed all over the aerial part of Nepeta species, and their largely to its great importance and their structures can vary widely among plants species. Some species contain monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, cyclopentanoid iridoids derivatives and nepetalactones which they are used in folk medicine as, diaphoretic, diuretic, antitussive, febrifuge agent. In the present work, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to determine the nutlet micromorphology and also micromorphology and distribution of the glandular trichomes of Nepeta binaludensis “an Iranian endemic species” and Nepeta cataria in order to improve the knowledge of the species and to evaluate the usefulness of this feature for phytochemical and systematic purpose. The chemical composition of its essential oil was also analyzed. This paper provides a detailed description of trichome morphology and nutlet in Nepeta binaludensis andNepeta catariaspecies growing in Iran, by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and evaluates the systematic significance of such characteristics. Materials and MethodsThe research was conducted in research garden of Agricultural Faculty of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad during 2017. Seeds of two Nepeta species were provided by Institute of Plant Sciences in Ferdowsi University of Mashhad.The seeds were cultivation in greenhouse and the seedling (10 cm long) were transplanted in the field. During the summer aerial parts of the plants were harvested at flowering stage, dried in shade, and (30 g) were hydro distilled for 3 h using Clevenger apparatus. For SEM study, leaves were fixed with 3% glutaraldehyde in 0.1 M sodium phosphate buffer, pH 7.2 for 30 min at 4 °C. After washing in water the material was dehydrated through an ethanol gradient and critical point dried. Specimens were mounted onto SEM stubs using double-sided adhesive tape and coated with palladium. For nutlets observation, seed were directly mounted onto aluminum stubs using double-sided adhesive tape and coated with palladium and photographed. ResultBased on the obtained data, the surface leaves of both species (N. binaludensis and N.cataria) was observed forglandular and non-glandular trichomes distribution. (The glandular trichomes of the peltate types). Trichome density and size was variable as 7-21mm2 leaf surface (63-77 µm) in N. binaludensis and as 20-30 mm2 leaf surface (47-67 µm) in N.cataria. In both species only one types of glandular trichome was identified. Peltate trichomes comprise of a basal cell situated in the leaf epiderm with a four-celled secretory head. Nutlets of Nepeta were blackish-brown or brown in color. One type surface ornamentation, can be distinguished: smooth-type. The nutlet ornamental pattern was smooth type with finely granulated in N. binaludensis and reticulate pattern in N.cataria species. Water-distilled essential oil of the aerial parts of two speciescultivated in field, were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. In essential oil of N.binaludensis and N. cataria, 51 and 26 components were identified, respectively. The main components of the essential oil of N. binaludensis were 1.8-cineole (14.8%), β-Pinene (10.4%) and p-Cymene (9.8%). Main compounds of the essential oil of N. cataria were 4a-a, 7-a, 7a-b-Nepetalactone (72/76%) and 4a-a, 7-a,7a-a-Nepetalactone (17.86%). Depending on the composition of key compound identified in essential oils, Nepeta species have been divided in two groups. Conclusions Depending on the composition of main compound identified in the essential oils, Nepeta species have been divided in two groups. On the basis of our research N. binaludensis belong to 1.8-cineole chemotype and of N.cataria belong to the nepetalactone chemotype. The leaves of N. binaludensis, N.cataria have be glandular and non-glandular trichomes. One types of glandular trichomes are identified: Peltate trichomes.Trichomes are distributed at the surface of leaves, having various functions and are extremely variable in the plants, plant organs location, density, form, therefore their morphology and structure could be of taxonomical importance in plant. Glandular trichomes contain or secrete substances which are widely used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic as well as in pesticide industry. The variation in the structure, morphology, density, secretion and function is noticed among these trichomes distributed on different plant organs. Nutlet surface can be useful as a taxonomic characteres.

Research Article Breeding and Biotechnology of Plant and Flower

Effect of Plant Density and Planting Pattern on Growth and Physiologic Characteristics of Tulip cv. ʹSpryngʹ

Davood Hashemabadi; Behzad Kaviani; Kobra Shakeri Kiasaraei; Rasoul Onsinejad; Mohammad Reza Safari Motlagh

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 02 November 2021

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2021.72661.1092

Abstract

Introduction: Tulip flower (Tulipa L.) from the family Liliaceae is a bulbous and monocotyledon plant that has the highest level under cultivation among this family group. Tulips can be propagated by seeds and bulbs. Its seeds produce bulbs up to two years after planting and it takes six years for the ... Read More Introduction: Tulip flower (Tulipa L.) from the family Liliaceae is a bulbous and monocotyledon plant that has the highest level under cultivation among this family group. Tulips can be propagated by seeds and bulbs. Its seeds produce bulbs up to two years after planting and it takes six years for the bulbs to reach the flowering stage. In fields, the quality characteristics of flowers can be changed to some extent by changing some planting characteristics such as planting pattern and plant density. Some researchers have reported changes in the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of various crops and orchards, including ornamental plants, with changes in planting pattern and plant density. One of the effects of changes in planting pattern and plant density is changes in photosynthesis and plant growth regulators. The purpose of this study was to introduce the best planting pattern, determination of the best planting density, and study the effect of plant pattern and planting density on the quantitative and qualitative characteristics of tulip (Tulipa L.) cv. ʹSpryngʹ.Materials and Methods: To evaluate the effect of planting pattern and density on growth and flower characteristics of tulip cv. ʹSpryingʹ, a study was conducted as a factorial experiment based on completely randomized block design (RCBD) with 3 replications in 27 plots. The first factor was three planting patterns (square, triangle and rectangle) and three planting densities (25, 45 and 65 plant/m2) as the second factor. Morphological and physiological traits such as height, length and diameter of stem, leaf and flower, flowering time, cut flower number, flower longevity, number, diameter and weight of bulb and bulblet, and the content of chlorophyll and carotenoid were measured. Statistical analysis of data was performed with SAS 9 software and mean comparison of the data with LSD test at 5% probability level. Graphs were drawn in Excel.Results and Discussion: Results showed that the maximum number of cut flowers (59.90) was counted in plants cultivated in triangle cultivation design with planting density of 65 plants/m2. The lowest time to start of flowering (69.30 days) and the highest content of leaf chlorophyll (13.57 μg/ml) was obtained in plants cultivated in trianle cultivation design with planting density of 45 plants/m2. The most flower longevity (12.73 day) and the highest content of carotenoid (1.68 μg/ml) was obtained in plants cultivated in square cultivation design with planting density of 45 plants/m2. The height of the flowering stem is one of the important traits for the marketing of cut flowers. The results of the present study showed that the height of the tulip plant was affected by plant density and planting pattern. This result was consistent with the results reported by some researchers. At low plant densities, long plant spacing reduces plant competition for water and nutrient uptake, resulting in larger plant growth and leaf size. Also, long plant distances cause the roots to develop and grow, and the leaves to grow and thicken. Increasing the vegetative competition of adjacent plants at high densities causes photosynthetic organs to be placed in the shade (change in the quantity and composition of the received radiation spectrum in the shade leaves), which has a great effect on the balance of plant growth regulators, resulted in longitudinal and superficial growth of plant organs. It intensifies the longitudinal growth of the petiole and accelerates all the developmental processes of the plant. Plant morphology and angle of leaf deviation can also be effective in increasing leaf size. Uniform distribution of plants and greater absorption of light and nutrients increased leaf length and width. The results revealed that plants compete for light and nutrients, and in these competitive conditions, roots and stems are taller than optimal, and the distance between nodes increases. The effect of planting pattern on flowering process can be related to changes in plant photosynthesis and the availability of photosynthetic materials for the developing reproductive parts. Changes in the planting distance or pattern change inflorescence characteristics by affecting root growth and altering the production of plant growth regulators in roots. Inflorescence characteristics are changed through the transfer of these plant growth regulators to the aerial parts. Changing the distance or planting pattern can affect some characteristics of bulb and bulblet of bulbous plants. Competition for receiving maximum light and photosynthesis is a key factor in changing bulb and bulblet traits. This competition is influenced by planting arrangement and plant density. Some studies have shown that planting pattern and plant density affect the amount of plant pigments such as chlorophyll and carotenoids, the main reason being the difference in light intake.

Research Article Medicinal Plants

Assessment of nutrient elements, chemical composition, and antioxidant activity of Ganoderma lucidum

Zh. Zandavifard; Majid Azizi; Majid Darroudi; Azar Hosseini

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 23 July 2022

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2022.77380.1181

Abstract

Introduction: Ganoderma lucidum is a high medicinal value mushroom have been widely used in the Far East countries especially in traditional Chinese medicine as promoting human health and treatment of many diseases. Nowadays, many published studies have established it contains a high source of nutraceutical ... Read More Introduction: Ganoderma lucidum is a high medicinal value mushroom have been widely used in the Far East countries especially in traditional Chinese medicine as promoting human health and treatment of many diseases. Nowadays, many published studies have established it contains a high source of nutraceutical and pharmaceutical substances with potent and unique properties as immune suppressors, hypercholesterolemic agents, or coadjutant treatments in diseases such as cancer, hypertension, insomnia, anorexia, dizziness, and chronic hepatitis, among others. This species is rich in several bioactive compounds (over 400 compounds) mainly, including polysaccharides, triterpenoids, steroids, fatty acids, amino acids, nucleotides, proteins, and alkaloids. Herein, the fruiting bodies of G. lucidum were studied in terms of nutritional value and chemical composition analysis. and further assessment of antioxidant activity of extracts from the fruiting body. Materials and methods: In order to detection of nutrient elements, the samples were homogenized by microwave digestion (Milestone Ethos, Germany) with 1000 W maximum power and further characterized using Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Biochemical molecule contents were characterized using Acquity Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatograph (UPLC, Waters) coupled to a photodiode array detector (PDA, Waters) and an electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometer (ESI–QTOF/MS; Waters). In order to assess antioxidant activity, two kinds of extract including methanol 80 % (ME) and hot water (HWE) as solvent were prepared by ultrasonic method. Six different in vitro assays are used for the determination of antioxidant capacity including ABTS, DPPH, superoxide (SO), nitric oxide (NO) free radicals scavenging, iron-reducing power (FRAP), and iron chelating activity (ICA). The data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the means were separated by the Newman-Keuls Multiple Comparison test (GraphPad Prism 8, San Diego, CA, USA)). All data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. P ≤ 0.05 values or less were considered to indicate a statistically significant difference. Furthermore, Half-maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) values for each assay were calculated from linear or logarithmic regression using Excel software. Results and Discussion: G.lucidum was characterized in terms of nutritional value and chemical composition. Generally, to study the nutraceutical value of G.lucidum, 14 elements were analyzed by ICP-OES. Amongst the macronutrient group, phosphorus and potassium (2910.8 and 1510.8 mg/kg dry matter) and in the micronutrient iron and zinc (8.5 and 7.74 mg/kg dry matter) have the highest amounts, respectively. In terms of biochemical compounds, totally 37 compounds were identified in which Ganoderic acid was observed as most abundant (15890.1 ± 232.1 μg per g dry matter) followed by Sinapic acid and Succinic acid (2011.4 ± 28.11 and 1505.33 ± 31.5 μg per g dry matter) were the predominant compounds. The results of antioxidant assays clearly revealed that, the methanolic extract proved to have higher antioxidant potential than one corresponding hot water extract for all assays. In ABTS radical scavenging activity assay, ME with the best antioxidant activity (IC50,48.46±2.42 µg/ml) had a higher activity which was significantly different (P ≤ 0.05) from HWE (163.51±4.51 µg/ml). For DPPH assay, radical scavenging capacity was dose-dependent and IC50 values of ME (111.93±1.39 µg/ml) and HWE (213.48±5.42µg/ml) was a significant difference (P ≤ 0.05). In FRAP assay, The highest level of iron-reduction was observed in the highest level of ME(IC50, 308.13±4.13 µg/ml). This extract had higher iron-chelating activity (IC50, 671.75±5.66 µg/ml) as well. These values in both assays were significantly more potent than HWE (P ≤0.01). In SO assay, ME extract (IC50, 488.8±7.38 µg/ml) and HWE (IC50, 645.92±5.48 µg/ml) showed no difference significantly. In addition, in the NO assay, both extracts released slight weak activity for neutralization of nitric oxide radicals, however, the highest activity level was related to ME (IC50, 1189.5±8.5 µg/ml) in comparison to HWE (IC50, 1343.2±10.6 µg/ml) that was significant (P ≤0.01). The results clearly indicate that different solvents used in this study significantly affected antioxidant capacities and total biochemical contents. Conclusions: G. lucidum, as a high medicinal value mushroom, proved is a very important source of nutrients and antioxidant compounds such as terpenoids, especially triterpenoids, and polysaccharides. The free radical scavenging properties, reducing power and iron-chelating inhibition of G. lucidum seemed to be correlated with phenolic compounds and triterpenoids mostly. Therefore, based on the nutritional and biochemical profile of G. lucidum, and also its antioxidant power, this mushroom possesses a high nutrient potential that reflects positively on its health benefits.

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Research Article Medicinal Plants

Investigation of Genotype Variation of Damask Rose in Iran Based on the Rate of Essence and some Morphologic and Physiologic Traits

Behzad Kaviani; Davood Hashemabadi; Rana Mohammadipour; Rasoul Onsinejad; Ahmad Reza Berimavandi

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 26 July 2022

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2022.76452.1167

Abstract

Introduction Damask rose (Rosa damascena Mill.) is used as a multi-purpose species (edible, medicinal, aromatic and ornamental). The flower essential oil of this plant has many applications in various industries. There is a wide variety of morphological, phonological, flower shape, yield and yield of ... Read More Introduction Damask rose (Rosa damascena Mill.) is used as a multi-purpose species (edible, medicinal, aromatic and ornamental). The flower essential oil of this plant has many applications in various industries. There is a wide variety of morphological, phonological, flower shape, yield and yield of essential oils among genotypes and different populations of Damask rose in various ecological conditions in Iran. Evaluation of genetic diversity among Damask rose of Iran is important in order for breeding purposes. Some studies on phenotype, essential oil and genetic diversity were also carried out among different cultivars of rose flowers in other parts of the world. Significant diversity has been reported among the populations and genotypes of rose in different ecological conditions for many traits. Identifying superior species, cultivars and populations is important for commercial cultivation and more essential oil production. It is difficult to understand genetic diversity in roses because natural hybridization and spontaneous mutations with high abundance occurs in this plant. Morphological differences can be due to the geographical coordinates, natural hybridization and mutations. Therefore, it is important to identify the genetic diversity among the Iranian rose flowers to improve the genotypes of these flowers with appropriate garden features. The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the genetic variety of Damask rose in Guilan, Ilam, Golestan, Tehran and Kashan in order to introduce superior genotype based on essence content and some other morphological and physiological traits. Materials and Methods Five genotypes of Damask rose including Kashan, Ilam, Golestan, Tehran and Guilan genotypes were evaluated as plant materials. Plant materials were collected from mentioned-above regions as root-sucker and transferred to the farm of Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands of the country. The design used was a completely randomized block design, which was performed in 3 replications and was considered for each 5-suckers’ repetition (total: 75 suckers). In each replication, three specimens of each genotype were planted in pits with diameter and depth of 50-60 cm. The distance between scions per rows was 2.5 meters and row spacing from each other was 2 meters. During the experimental period, the bushes were irrigated using drip (trickle) irrigation method. The sampling was performed to measure morphological and physiological parameters after the blooms were opened in early May. Evaluated parameters were plant height, leaf length, leaf width, leaf area, petal number, stamen number, carpel number, fresh weight of petals, petal anthocyanin levels, petals essential oil levels, chlorophyll content and leaf carotenoids. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and, if significant, Tukey analysis was used. SPSS software was used for statistical analysis. Results and Discussion The results showed that the highest amount of essential oil (0.042 and 0.038%) was extracted from the petals of Ilam and Kashan genotypes, respectively. The highest petal weight (2.70 and 2.30 g) was related to the petals of Ilam and Kashan genotypes, respectively. The highest petal length and width were obtained in these two genotypes. The largest number of petals (71.80 per each plant) was related to Guilan samples. The highest amount of chlorophyll a was related to Ilam genotype and the highest amount of chlorophyll b, carotenoids and anthocyanin was related to Kashan genotype. Stamen number, carpel number, leaf area, leaf length and plant height were also measured. In the present study, rose flower genotypes collected from different parts of Iran showed significant diversity in relation to morphological and physiological properties, especially essence. The results of the present study showed that there was a significant correlation between the amount of essence in the petals and the weight and dimensions of the petals, so that the Ilam and Kashan genotypes with more essence in their petals had higher weight and dimensions. Similar findings related to the correlation between flower yield and its components in roses flowers were presented in some studies. The number of flowers per branch, the fresh weight of each flower and the number of flowers per branch can be a suitable choice for improving flower yield in rose flower genotypes. Some studies have shown that the weight of the flower has a very strong, positive and significant correlation with the flower yield. The findings of the present study confirm the results obtained in these studies. Despite the geographical distance between some genotypes, the high similarity coefficient between them may indicate the common origin or continuous and purposeful genotypes. On the other hand, the low similarity coefficient between genotypes proposes relatively low geographical connection and different primary origin. In the present study, there was a low correlation between the amount of essence in the petals and the weight and dimensions of the petals in the Ilam and Kashan genotypes with the Golestan and Guilan genotypes. Finding the high correlation between the more important traits is of high value in breeding programs and the selection of superior genotypes. Some reports have been presented to compare rose flower genotypes based on morphological properties. Generative traits, including flower characteristics, are more suitable for genetic and evolutionary evaluations than vegetative traits. The results of some researchers in Iran and elsewhere in the world showed that flower yield per plant is associated with some other traits, including flower number, dimensions and weight of flowers, and the number of branches in the plant. The genetic analysis of rose flower genotypes showed that some genotypes collected from different areas are genetically relevant and some are separate. This subject shows effective role of ecological conditions in changing and variability of different species and varieties. The results indicated that the difference in the amount of essential oil compounds is mostly influenced by environmental and physiological factors. Some studies have shown significant diversity in essential oil efficiency and yield in different samples of rose flowers. The morphological difference between the different genotypes of this flower indicates the presence of germplasm and the proper capacity to improve the traits and the ability to select the best genotypes using morphological markers to enhance flower yield in the country. Overall; Ilam and Kashan genotypes are suggested as superior genotypes for breeding programs.

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Research Article Pomology

Determination of the most suitable time for harvesting olive fruits 'Yellow' and 'Arbequina' cultivars based on physiologic characteristics

Saeedeh Keivanfar; Davood Hashemabadi; Behzad Kaviani

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 10 January 2023

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2023.75205.1138

Abstract

Introduction Olive (Olea europea L.) fruit ripening is a slow and long process and has a great impact on fruit quality, including the amount of oil. Also, interrupting the harvest and extraction of olive oil causes unfavorable conditions in this fruit. Therefore, it is important to determine the best ... Read More Introduction Olive (Olea europea L.) fruit ripening is a slow and long process and has a great impact on fruit quality, including the amount of oil. Also, interrupting the harvest and extraction of olive oil causes unfavorable conditions in this fruit. Therefore, it is important to determine the best time to harvest the fruit. Olive oil has unsaturated fatty acids and has an antioxidant activity. The analysis of maturation stages is a prerequisite for fruit harvest time in each cultivar and quality of olive products. The time of harvest and maintenance after harvest is two important factors in the quality and quality of olive fruit oil. The exact determination of olive harvest time depends on the geographical area, cultivar and climate, agronomic and fruiting conditions. Study on different olive cultivars in different regions of Iran and the world revealed that fruit harvest time plays an effective role on the morphological, physiological and metabolic parameters of fruit. The approximate time of olive fruit harvest is in different geographical points, November and October. The purpose of this study was to investigate the right time of olive fruit harvesting 'Arbequina' and 'Yellow' cultivars for obtaining maximum quality of fruit and oil.Materials and Methods A factorial experiment containing two factors; cultivar in two levels ('Yellow' and 'Arbequina') and harvest time in six levels (24th and 31th October, and 7th, 14th, 21th and 28th November) based on a completely randomized block design with two factors in 12 treatments, 3 replicates and 36 experimental units was done to determine the appropriate harvest time and its effect on oil quality. Physiologic parameters; percentage of oil, amount of phenolic compounds, degree of peroxidation, amount of oleic acid, force of separation of fruit from tail and acidity were evaluated. This research was conducted at the olive research station in Rudbar city in southern Guilan province using the removed olives from the Manjil ETKA station. The 6 trees from two cultivars; 'Arbakkin' and 'Yellow' (from each 3 tree) which were similar in terms of height, age, crown diameter, mean conditions and irrigation were evaluated. Trees were planted at 6 × 8 m intervals. After selecting trees, from each tree, 2 to 3 kg of olive was randomly harvested. In fruits with tail, the force needed to separate the tail of the fruit was measured by the force assessment device. Standard method numbers 4178 and 4179 standard institutes and industrial research of Iran were used to measure acidity and olive oil peroxide, respectively. Polyphenols were measured with spectrophotometer. To determine the percentage of oil, saccule was used. For measurement of oleic acid, gas chromatography (GC) was used. Data were analyzed using SAS software and their average comparison was done by Duncan.Results and Discussion Mean comparison of the interaction effect between cultivar and harvest time showed that the highest acidity of the fruit was obtained in 'Arbequina' cultivar, respectively harvested at two times 31th and 24th October. The highest fruit peroxide value and the highest percentage of oleic acid were calculated in 'Yellow' cultivar in 24th October. The highest value of polyphenol was obtained in 'Yellow' cultivar on 7th November. The highest percentage of fruit oil was obtained in 'Arbequina' cultivar on 31th October. The lowest force to separate the tail from the fruit was applied in 'Arbequina' cultivar on 31th October. The results showed that the best time to harvest 'Yellow' cultivar is 7th November and for 'Arbequina' cultivar is 14th November. The study on several olive cultivars in China showed that the most suitable fruit harvest time was in late October until mid-November. There was an adverse significant correlation between changes in total sugar content in fruit and leaf and oil accumulation in the fruit. The quality of fruit depends mainly to the type of cultivar, genetic characteristics, maturity and environmental conditions. Study on some olive cultivars showed that the ratio between sugars is different in various stages of fruit maturity and between different cultivars of olive fruit. Some studies have shown that the most suitable time of olive fruit harvest for canned preparation is early September and for extraction of oil, late September. Fruits should be harvested when they have the highest oil accumulation. The study on 'Koroneiki' and 'Mission' cultivars in Gorgan region showed that the amount of oil in the dry matter and the percentage of free fatty acids increased with increasing degree of maturity, while peroxide value was reduced. One of the causes of peroxide value reduction during maturity is reduction in lipoxygenase enzyme activity. This enzyme increases the peroxide value by effect on linolenic acid and linoleic acid. Based on these results, the best time to harvest for the above cultivars is early in December.

Research Article Growing vegetables

The effect of foliar application of calcium chloride, ascorbic acid and harvest time on fruit quality of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv. SV8320TD)

Zahra Khalili; Fatemeh Nekounam; Taher Barzegar; Zahra Ghahremani; Maliheh Farhangpour

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 12 August 2023

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2023.82265.1265

Abstract

Introduction: Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) belongs to the Solanaceae family, which is one of the most widely cultivated and economically important vegetables in the world, which is an excellent source of ascorbic acid and has high antioxidant capacity against oxidative damage caused by free radicals. ... Read More Introduction: Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) belongs to the Solanaceae family, which is one of the most widely cultivated and economically important vegetables in the world, which is an excellent source of ascorbic acid and has high antioxidant capacity against oxidative damage caused by free radicals. Ascorbic acid (AsA) is a water-soluble vitamin that plays a key physiological role in scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), and enzyme cofactor. Ascorbic acid is antioxidant and antistress agent, and also acts as a signaling molecule in some plant physiological processes and defense mechanisms. Positive roles of such antioxidants in scavenging or chelating the free radicals and activating the natural resistance against different biotic and abiotic stresses have been reported in several fruit trees. Calcium has a vital role for normal growth and development of plants due to an important role in balancing membrane structures, increasing nutrient uptakes and activates of metabolic processes. Calcium plays a vital role in maintains cell wall stability, integrity and determining the fruit quality. To our knowledge, however, little information is available regarding the interaction effect of ascorbic acid and calcium chloride on tomato. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the foliar application of ascorbic acid and calcium chloride on quality and antioxidant capacity of tomato fruit.Materials and Methods: To study the effect of foliar application of calcium chloride (Ca) and Ascorbic acid (AsA) on growth, yield and fruit quality of tomato, the field experiment was carried out from June to September 2021 at Research farm of faculty of Agriculture, at the University of Zanjan, Iran. Each treatment was carried out with three replicates. Different concentrations of Ca (0, 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 %) and AsA (0, 100, 200 and 300 mg L-1) were sprayed three times (0, 15, 30 days after full bloom). Fruits were harvested at two harvests stage (orange and red color) and transferred to the laboratory on the same day. Flesh firmness was determined with penetrometer (model Mc Cormic FT 32), using an 8 mm penetrating tip. Results were expressed in kg cm-2. The pH values of solutions were monitored with pH meter. TSS was measured in the extract obtained from three fruit of each replicate with a digital refractometer Atago PR-101 (Atago Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan) at 20◦C. Total ascorbic acid content was expressed as mg per 100 g of juice. Antioxidant activity was measured using the free radical scavenging activity (DPPH) and calculated according to the following formula: RSA%= 100(Ac-As)/Ac. Statistical analyses were performed with SPSS software package v. 20.0 for Windows, and means comparison were separated by Duncan’s multiple range tests at p <0.05.Results and Discussion: The results showed that fruit harvested at red color stage had the higher vitamin C, total soluble solid (TSS), total phenol, flavonoids contents and antioxidant capacity compared to fruit harvested at orange color stage. Foliar application of AsA and Ca had significantly improved tomat fruit quality. The highest value of TSS (4.9 °B), vitamin C (46.1 mg 100ml-1), total phenol and flavonoids contents and antioxidant capacity (36%) was achieved with application of 300 mg L-1 AsA and 0.9% Ca in fruit harvested at red color harvest time. The lowest value of pH and highest TA was observed in red color fruit treated with 300 mg L-1 AsA and all Ca levels. Ca had significant effect on fruit firmness, which the highest fruit firmness was obtained from 0.9% Ca. The fresh tomato is an important source of ascorbic acid for human consumption. AsA significantly increased the amount of vitamin C in the plum and sweet pepper fruits. Increasing vitamin C content in fruits after treatment with Ca could be related to inhibiting action of calcium on the activities of ascorbic acid oxidase that use ascorbate as a substrate. The results indicated that treatment of Ca produced fruits with higher firmness compared to control and other treatments. Firmness and resistance to softening can be increased by the addition of Ca, due to interaction of calcium with pectate acid in the cell wall to form calcium pectate and retarding polygalacturonase activity. Differences in the percentage of TSS content at the time of harvest indicated the AsA and Ca effects on carbohydrate accumulation in fruits, which had different potential on respiration rates and consequently storability of plants. The antioxidant activity has positive correlation with total phenolic content, flavonoids and content of ascorbic acid. Conclusion: The results of our research indicated that per-harvest foliar application of AsA and Ca improved fruit quality attributes including vitamin C, fruit firmness, TSS and antioxidant activity. These results suggest that AsA and Ca treatments, especially AsA 300 mg L-1 and Ca 0.9%, may be proposed to improve fruit quality.

Research Article Postharvest physiology

Effect of Propanol, Butanol and Pentanol on Vase Life and Quality of Cut Carnation cv. Nelson (Dianthus caryophyllus cv. Nelson) Flower

Davood Hashemabadi; Amirhossein Soleimani; Behzad Kaviani; Nayyereh Naziri Moghaddam

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 25 November 2023

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2023.83721.1280

Abstract

IntroductionCut carnation flowers have high economic importance in the floriculture industry. The postharvest life of cut ornamentals, including carnation, is important in determining their quality and consumer preference. High production of ethylene is one of the most important factors that reduce the ... Read More IntroductionCut carnation flowers have high economic importance in the floriculture industry. The postharvest life of cut ornamentals, including carnation, is important in determining their quality and consumer preference. High production of ethylene is one of the most important factors that reduce the postharvest life of this flower. High ethylene production causes the aging of some cut flowers. In order to increase the vase life of cut flowers, many researches have been done and various preservative solutions have been introduced, and in some of these solutions, disinfectants have also been used. One of the effective compounds in stopping or reducing ethylene production are alcohols. Ethanol stops ethylene synthesis in cut carnation. Cut carnation is climacteric flower and sensitive to high levels of ethylene. Therefore, the aim of this research was to investigate and compare the effect of different amounts of propanol, butanol and pentanol on the vase life and quality improvement of cut carnation flowers cultivar 'Nelson'.Materials and MethodsIn the present study, propanol, butanol and pentanol were used at the concentrations of 2, 4 and 6% for 24-hour pulse, in order to reduce ethylene production and increase the vase life of cut carnation cultivar 'Nelson' flowers. In February 2020, cut carnation flowers that were harvested at the commercial stage were prepared from a greenhouse in Mahalat city and were immediately transferred to the Postharvest Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Islamic Azad University, Rasht Branch for treatment and evaluation of traits. This experiment was conducted as a completely randomized design in 30 plots. For each treatment, 3 replications and 5 samples for each replication and a total of 150 flower branches were considered. Some traits such as vase life, water absorption, dry matter, petal protein, leaf chlorophyll, ethylene production, fresh weight loss, flower opening index, Brix degree, lipid peroxidation and activity of antioxidant enzymes, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase were measured. To evaluate the vase life of cut flowers, the main criterion is the turning of the petals inward and the apparent wilting of the flowers. Data analysis was done using SAS statistical software and mean comparison based on Duncan's multiple range test.Results and DiscussionThe results of variance analysis of the data showed that the effect of different amounts of propanol, butanol and pentanol application was significant at 5% and 1% probability level on vase life and most of the traits measured in cut carnation flowers. This research revealed that propanol had a more effective role in reducing ethylene production and increasing the vase life than butanol and pentanol. The results showed that the longest vase life (14.11 days) was observed in cut flowers treated with 2% propanol. This treatment also caused the highest amount of water absorption, percentage of dry matter, petal protein and leaf chlorophyll, as well as the lowest amount of ethylene production. The lowest vase life (8.91 days) was observed in control cut flowers. The mean comparison of the different alcohol treatments showed that all treatments of propanol and butanol alcohols in different concentrations increased the absorption of solution by cut flowers compared to the control. Maintaining the water balance in cut flowers is one of the important factors in the vase life of cut flowers. The content of water uptake by cut flowers depends on the hydraulic conductivity of the water channel in the stem and the water potential difference between cut flower tissues and the preservative solution. The least plasma membrane damage was caused in cut flowers treated with 2% propanol. This treatment also caused the highest SOD activity. The short vase life of cut flowers is a global challenge, and efforts are being made to increase their vase life by using appropriate compounds in the vase solution. One of these compounds are alcohols, which have been used by some researchers in order to increase the vase life of various cut flowers. Alcohols are usually toxic for cells in high concentrations. Propanol and butanol in low concentrations inhibited the synthesis of ethylene and therefore increased the vase life of cut carnation flowers. These anti-ethylene compounds prevent the senescence of the petals, which is usually associated with the browning of the petals. Alcohols in optimal concentrations act as a signal and increase the vase life of cut flowers and improve their postharvest quality by reducing lipid peroxidation and inducing the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Similar findings were reported in cut alstroemeria, some carnation cultivars and chrysanthemum flowers.ConclusionThe present study showed the positive effect of disinfectant and antimicrobial compounds on increasing the vase life, some physiologic characters and antioxidants activity. This research revealed that propanol had more effective role in reducing ethylene production and increasing the vase life than butanol and pentanol. The results showed that the longest vase life was observed in cut carnation cv. Nelson flowers treated with 2% propanol.

Research Article Growing vegetables

The Effect of plant growth promoting bacteria in hydroponics cultivation conditions on iron concentration, yield and phenolic compounds of lettuce

Parastoo Molaei; Fatemeh Nekounam; Mohammad BabaAkbari Sari

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 27 January 2024

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.82408.1266

Abstract

The Effect of plant growth promoting bacteria in hydroponics cultivation conditions on iron concentration, yield and phenolic compounds of lettuceIntroduction: Over time, water deficit and environmental pollution by traditional agriculture that forces the producer to contribute to competitive and sustainable ... Read More The Effect of plant growth promoting bacteria in hydroponics cultivation conditions on iron concentration, yield and phenolic compounds of lettuceIntroduction: Over time, water deficit and environmental pollution by traditional agriculture that forces the producer to contribute to competitive and sustainable agriculture. Leafy vegetables are beneficial to human health, therefore, to adapt an eco-friendly approach in some vegetables, the partial substitution (25–50%) of mineral NPK by biofertilizers in lettuce improves the yield and agronomic features and produces healthy plants for human nutrition as well. Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) from Asteraceae family is considered as one of the most popular salad vegetables as a cool season crop. PGPB (Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria) are rhizosphere bacteria that improve plant growth through a broad range of processes, i.e., phosphate solubilization, biological nitrogen fixation, siderophore manufacturing, phytohormone manufacturing, antifungal activity, systemic resistance induction and plant-microbe symbiosis promotion. The promoting of growth and yield of horticultural crops such as cucumber, potato, tomato and spinach by plant growth promoting bacteria inoculation at nutrient solutions under soilless systems have also been reported.Material and Methods: In order to study the effect of growth-promoting bacteria on the yield, iron concentration and phenolic compounds of lettuce (Lactuca sativa cv. New Red Fire) under floating systems, the experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design with three replications in the Research greenhouse of University of Zanjan, during 2020. Experiment treatments consisted of five levels of PGPB (Pseudomonas vancouverensis, Pseudomonas Koreensis, Pantoea agglomerans, Pseudomonas putida, and one level of combined bacteria (Pantoea agglomerans+ Pseudomonas Koreensis + Pseudomonas putida+ Pseudomonas vancouverensis)) and control plant (without bacteria treated). Application of bacteria was done in two stages, one step before cultivation as seed inoculation and the next step as root inoculation. Lettuce plants grown in hydroculture condition with Hoagland nutrient solution. Growth conditions were environmentally controlled at a relative humidity of 60/70 % day/night and temperature was maintained between 20 and 17 °C. At 40 days after transplanting date, the lettuce head were harvested. The freshly harvested lettuce head were immediately weighed separately of each plant for fresh weight determination. Leaf samples were dried at 72 °C for 48 h in a drying oven and kept for further investigations. Also, leaf number per plant, chlorophyll and carotenoids contents, Fe concentration, total phenol, total flavonoids and anthocyanin contents were measured. Results: The obtained results in the current study indicated that the application of PGPB on lettuce caused significant increase in growth, photosynthetic pigments and iron concentration. The maximum growth rate and photosynthetic pigments content was observed in combined four bacteria treatment, so that , an increase of 388.2% chlorophyll a, 439.8% chlorophyll b, 398.3% total chlorophyll, 246.3% carotenoids contents, 42.6% plant fresh weight and 22.2% number of leaves was obtained compared to control plants. Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria (PGPB) can enhance growth and development of plants. PGPB have direct and indirect influences on plant growth process. The immediate promotion of growth involves either supplying the plant with a compound produced by the bacteria, i.e., phytohormones, or promoting certain nutrient uptake from the setting. Whereas, the indirect plant growth promotion happens when PGPB decreases or prevents the deleterious impacts of one or more phytopathogenic species. Plants inoculated with PGPB showed higher leaf iron concentration compared to control plant. Thus inoculation with combined four bacteria induced a 26.2 % increase of lettuce leaves iron concentration. The obtained results in the current study revealed that the inoculation with PGPB significant decreased the total phenol, flavonoid and anthocyanin contents. The maximum content of phenol (483 µg g-1FW), flavonoid (188.1 µg g-1FW) and anthocyanin (27.5 µmol g-1FW) were observed in control plants compared to treated plants.Conclusions: According to the results of this research, the use of PGPB in the hydroculture system, on the one hand, led to a significant increase in iron absorption, the synthesis of photosynthetic pigments, and subsequently promote growth and increases lettuce yield. On the other hand, due to facilitating the growth conditions and increasing the absorption of nutrients for the host plants as a result of inoculation with PGPB, led to a decreases of phenolic compounds including total phenol, total flavonoid and anthocyanin contents. Key Words: Anthocyanin, Hydroponics, Iron, PGPR, Phenolic compounds.....

Research Article Medicinal Plants

Effect of temperature and sulfuric acid on improvement seed germination of three populations of medicinal plant Allium (Allium hirtifolium) and evaluation of micromorphology characteristics using scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

Hoda Sajedimehr; mahya Sajedimehr; majid azizi

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 02 March 2024

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.84817.1295

Abstract

IntroductionMedicinal plants with a high level of antioxidant activity are of great importance due to their effect on a wide range of diseases such as diabetes, inflammatory diseases, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, cardiovascular diseases, blood pressure and other diseases caused by oxidative stress. Therefore, ... Read More IntroductionMedicinal plants with a high level of antioxidant activity are of great importance due to their effect on a wide range of diseases such as diabetes, inflammatory diseases, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, cardiovascular diseases, blood pressure and other diseases caused by oxidative stress. Therefore, studying medicinal plants and extracting and identifying chemical properties and effective compounds in medicinal plants emphasizes the necessity of learning and using medicinal plants. Iranian shallot plant with the scientific name Allium hirtifolium is a species of the onion family (Alliaceae) and is one of the largest genera of the monocot group. Shallot plant is an important horticultural product that has been known and used as a vegetable, spice and medicinal plant since ancient times due to its useful properties. In this genus, there are economically important species such as: onions, garlic, shallots, chives and leeks. Germination and sprouting are one of the most important phenological stages (life cycle) of the plant. Having enough information about the phenological cycle of the plant leads to better management of the different stages of this cycle, which determines the degree of success of agricultural systems. Seedling germination and growth in the early stages are strongly influenced and controlled by environmental factors, especially temperature, soil moisture and seed quality (germination and seedling strength) and internal factors (growth regulators) such as Gibberellin and Abscisic acid hormones.In order to speed up the germination of seeds and eliminate seed dormancy so that germination can happen faster, there are different methods. One of these methods is mechanical or chemical scratching. The aim of this research is to present a precise and scientific description for the failure of Iranian shallot medicinal plant seed dormancy (Allium hirtifolium) and improvement in the acceleration of germination, considering the different characteristics in three populations of Iranian shallot seeds. Also, to increase the quality and accuracy in this research, a scanning electron microscope was also used to accurately determine the surface changes of the seeds before the acid-washing treatment with sulfuric acid and after the acid-washing treatment with sulfuric acid. In the previous research that has been carried out on Iranian shallot seeds, the simultaneous examination of different temperatures and different times of acid washing by sulfuric acid in a precise manner and with several populations that have different genotypes, as well as the use of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) has not been done.Materials and methodsThe study was done to investigate the effect of different degrees of temperature, and different times of sulfuric acid for acid washing on the improvement of germination of three populations of Iranian shallot seeds (Allium hirtifolium). The effect of four different temperatures (5, 10, 15 and 20 degrees Celsius) inside the Germinator device and four different times of acid washing with sulfuric acid (0, 5, 10, 15 minutes) on germination and micromorphological characteristics of three populations of shallot plant (Feridon Shahr, Tiran and Khansar) was investigated. On the other hand, a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with different degrees of magnification was used for the effect of sulfuric acid treatment on the surface of the seed coat. The experiment was conducted as a factorial, in the form of a completely randomized design with four replications. At the end of the experiment, traits such as germination percentage, average germination time, germination speed, root length and shoot length were evaluated. Also, traits such as diameter, length, volume and weight of seeds in three populations of shallot were also analyzed statistically.Conclusion and discussionThe results of electron microscopy showed that in all three populations of Iranian shallot seeds, the seed coat, after using the acid washing treatment with sulfuric acid for 15 minutes, underwent noticeable and significant changes compared to the control seeds. The surface of the seed is destroyed by sulfuric acid and the surface of the seed does not have its natural ornamentation and protrusions compared to the control. Also, the effect of temperature, duration of acid washing and seed population on germination percentage, germination speed, average germination duration, seedling root length and seedling length was significant at the 1% probability level (p≤0.01). The population of Fereydoun Shahr has the highest germination percentage (69.16 percent), germination speed 3.7 (number of seeds per day) and average duration of germination 9.64 (number of seeds per day) at a temperature of 5 degrees Celsius and acid washing time of 15 minutes. The maximum shoot length and root length were 19.7 and 8.81 (mm) in the Tiran population with a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius and a 15-minute acid washing time, and in the Khansar population with a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius and time of 5 minutes acid washing respectively. The results show that, according to the dormancy of the seeds and their need for cold, the best temperature for shallot seed germination is 5 degrees Celsius with 15 minutes of acid washing by sulfuric acid. Diversity in shallot plant populations has a significant effect on the performance of this plant in improving seed germination.AcknowledgeWe thank Ferdowsi University of Mashhad and the Isfahan University of Technology.Keywords: shallot diversity (seed morphology), stratification, seed scarification, germination, scanning electron microscope (SEM)

Research Article Pomology

The effect of foliar application of NAA on quantitative and qualitative properties of 'Red Delicious' apple fruit under climatic conditions of Zanjan

Fatemeh Nekounam; A. Salehi

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 13 April 2024

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.85956.1312

Abstract

Introduction Apple (Malus damestica L.) is one of the most popular temperate fruits in the world as well as Iran. One of the challenges in managing apple orchards is excessive fruit formation or excessive fruit drop especially in the pre-harvest stage, which affects the performance and marketable product. ... Read More Introduction Apple (Malus damestica L.) is one of the most popular temperate fruits in the world as well as Iran. One of the challenges in managing apple orchards is excessive fruit formation or excessive fruit drop especially in the pre-harvest stage, which affects the performance and marketable product. Therefore, the control fruit set is required to help regular fruit production. Currently, the application of synthetic auxins as plant growth regulators are successfully practiced and mainly used in various countries, including all aspects of modern apple production to control and manipulate vegetative growth and regulation of flowering, reduce immature fruit drop, fruit maturity, firmness, and manage apple harvest. Among the auxin-type growth regulators, NAA is a synthetic auxin analogue that may down-regulate abscission-related genes and reduce the sensitivity of the abscission zone to ethylene. It has long been used to reduce or totally prevent pre-harvest fruit drops, to preserve fruit flesh firmness, and to prevent starch degradation in apples. Therefore, this experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of NAA foliar application at different days after full bloom on controlling fruit drop and improving physical and biochemical attributes of ‘Red Delicious’ apple fruits. Findings described here may help to understand the effects this PGR on apple quality and also help on the development of strategies to reduce post-harvest losses of apple fruits. Materials and Methods In order to study the effect of NAA on controlling fruit drop, fruit yield and quality, a factorial experiment based on randomized complete blocks design with three replications was conducted under Zanjan climatic conditions during 2023. Ten year-old ‘Red Delicious’ Standard apple trees grafted on M.9 rootstock were used as plant material. Treatments consisted of different concentration of NAA (15, 30, 50 and 75 mg L-1) sprayed at different days after full bloom (10, 25 and 40 DAFB). The date of full bloom was 04/22/2023. The fruit growth pattern was based on fruit weight and diameter during DAFB. According to fruit growth pattern, fruit were harvested at physiological maturity stage. Fruit number per replicate, fruit weight, diameter and shape index, fruit firmness, total soluble solids content and taste index were measured. Also, fruit drop percentage, fruit yield as well as fruit efficiency was estimated. Results and discussion Advanced knowledge of apple fruit development from fruitlet to maturity is crucial for optimal prediction of year-to-year yields and fruit quality. Apple fruit growth has been defined as sigmoidal increase in fruit diameter or fresh weight. Studying two fruit growth patterns based on fruit weight and diameter data showed that fruit weight is a more appropriate indicator for drawing fruit growth patterns, and according to that, the fruits were harvested at the physiological maturity stage. Foliar spray of NAA during different DAFB showed different significant effects on fruit drop and yield efficiency. The highest rate of fruit drop (95.7 % and 85.9 %) was observed with foliar application of NAA at 10 and 25 DAFB, respectively, but its application at 40 DAFB reduced fruit drop by 46.9% compared to the control, and correspondingly the fruit yield increased by 22% compared to the control treatment. The lowest number and weight of fruits per unit shoot cross sectional area was observed in trees treated with different concentrations of NAA at 10 DAFB. The maximum fruit length (72.3 mm), diameter (75.8 mm), weight (180 g) and fruit volume (240 cm3) were obtained with application of 75 mg L-1 NAA at 10 DAFB. The foliar spray of NAA at 10 DAFB significantly increased the fruit density, flash firmness and TSS. But their use in 25 and 40 DAFB had no significant effect on fruit density and flash firmness, and significantly decreased fruit TSS by 23.9% compared to the control trees. Unlike the TSS, the value of fruit titratable acidity showed a significant increase in all three times of naphthalene acetic acid treatment compared to the control, and as a result, the fruit taste index decreased. Conclusions The present study concluded that the positive effects of NAA in controlling fruit drop and improving the yield and fruit quality will be different depending on the time of application and the weather conditions of the region under study. According to the results, the application of NAA at 40 DAFB reduced fruit drop and increased fruit yield efficiency.

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Research Article Pomology

Evaluating the effect of the Rootstock on the Resistance of some Grafted Pear Cultivars to the Bacterium that Causes Fire Blight

Y. Salahvarzi; Javad Samimi; Ali Tehranifar; Nasser Beikzadeh

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 14 April 2024

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.83573.1277

Abstract

IntroductionPear (Pyrus communis L.) belongs to the Rosaceae family and is native to Western Asia and Eastern Europe. Fire blight has five phases or five important stages of contamination, namely blossom blight, branch and leaf blight, fruit blight, main branches and trunk blight, and finally root blight. ... Read More IntroductionPear (Pyrus communis L.) belongs to the Rosaceae family and is native to Western Asia and Eastern Europe. Fire blight has five phases or five important stages of contamination, namely blossom blight, branch and leaf blight, fruit blight, main branches and trunk blight, and finally root blight. The USDA standard system is proposed and implemented by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Additionally, the sensitivity of grafted cultivars to fire blight can be determined using the Gardner scale, which measures the percentage of blighted aerial parts of pear seedlings. The Erwinia amylovora bacterium obtains its energy by consuming carbohydrates, and an increase in carbohydrates in plant tissues leads to increased absorption of this bacterium. Furthermore, the cellular pH of the host plant also affects the growth and proliferation of fire blight bacteria, with the optimal pH range being between 5 and 10.Material and mehodMaterials and methods The rootstocks used in this experiment were Dargazi and Pyrodwarf, while the pear cultivars were Koshia and Dargazi. The experiment was conducted in both orchard and greenhouse conditions. In the orchard, a factorial experiment based on a randomized complete block design was carried out with five replications. The factors studied were the rootstocks (Dargazi and Pyrodwarf) and the pear cultivars (Koshia and Dargazi). In the greenhouse, a factorial experiment based on a completely randomized design was conducted with three replications. The factors studied were the rootstocks (Dargazi and Pyrodwarf) and the pear cultivars (Dargazi and Koshia). The Gardner scale was used to measure the severity of fire blight infection. Additionally, measurements of sucrose, sorbitol, and pH levels in the leaf tissue were taken The sucrose content in the leaf tissue of Koshia/pyrodwarf rootstock increased from day 0 to 6, reaching its highest level (10%) on the 6th day, and then decreased to 5% on the 12th day. In Dargazi/Pyrodwarf rootstock, the sucrose content increased from day 0 to 6, reaching its highest level (8%) on the 6th day, and then decreased to 5% on the 12th day. In Dargazi/Dargazi rootstock, the sucrose content increased from day 0 to 6, reaching its highest level (7%) on the 6th day, and then decreased to 4% on the 12th day. The sorbitol content in the leaf tissue of Koshia/pyrodwarf rootstock increased from day 0 to 6, reaching its highest level (2%) on the 6th day, and then decreased to 1% on the 12th day. In Dargazi/Pyrodwarf rootstock, the sorbitol content increased from day 0 to 6, reaching its highest level (1.5%) on the 6th day, and then decreased to 1% on the 12th day. In Dargazi/Dargazi rootstock, the sorbitol content increased from day 0 to 6, reaching its highest level (1%) on the 6th day, and then decreased to 0.5% on the 12th day. On the other hand, the pH of the leaf tissue in Dargazi/Pyrodwarf rootstock remained constant at 6.2 from day 0 to 12. The pH of the leaf tissue in Dargazi/Dargazi rootstock was constant at 6.2 from day 0 to 6, and then increased to 7.4 on the 12th day. The data collected from both the orchard and greenhouse experiments were analyzed to determine the effects of rootstock and cultivar on fire blight resistance. Results and discussionOverall, the results of the experiment showed that the Koshia/Dargazi combination exhibited more resistance to fire blight compared to the Koshia/Pyrodwarf combination. The Dargazi/Pyrodwarf and Dargazi/Dargazi combinations were highly resistant to fire blight. The symptoms of fire blight were not observed in the Dargazi/Dargazi combination even 18 days after inoculation. The pH levels in the leaf tissue varied among the different combinations. The Koshia/Pyrodwarf and Koshia/Dargazi combinations showed fluctuations in pH levels, while the Dargazi/Pyrodwarf and Dargazi/Dargazi combinations had more consistent pH levels. The amount of sorbitol and sucrose sugars decreased slightly in the resistant Dargazi cultivar until 12 days after bacterial induction. In the Koshia/Pyrodwarf combination, the amount of these sugars decreased with the intensity of bacterial development in the tissues. However, in the Dargazi/Dargazi combination, the amount of sugars remained constant due to the lack of bacterial penetration and the cultivar's resistance to the disease. These findings suggest that using resistant rootstocks or inter-stocks can contribute to disease resistance in pear trees. The results of this experiment provide valuable information for researchers and growers in selecting appropriate rootstocks and cultivars to mitigate fire blight infection.Conclusionresults showed that the Koshia/Dargazi combination had higher resistance to fire blight compared to the Koshia/Pyrodwarf, and the pH and carbohydrate content in the leaf tissue of the rootstock influenced the growth and proliferation of fire blight bacteria.The results of this study showed that there are different degrees of resistance to fire blight among the studied combinations, which indicates the existence of sufficient potential for the program to breed and improve pear to resist this disease. Dargazi cultivar has a very high degree of resistance to fire blight in both orchard and greenhouse conditions. In general, the resistant of Dargazi rootstosk has some effect of its resistance on the sensitive Koshia cultivar.

Research Article Medicinal Plants

Investigating the use of Mycorrhiza and Trichoderma Fungi on Growth Parameters،, Rhizome Yield and Active Ingredients of Ginger

Faeze Rezvaninia; Mohammad-Taghi Ebadi; Naser Safaie

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 20 April 2024

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.85675.1308

Abstract

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe.) is a perennial and monocotyledonous medicinal and spice plant, whose rhizome, essential oil and extract are of interest, and this plant has wide uses in various industries. The origin of ginger is Southeast Asia and possibly India. This plant is mainly cultivated ... Read More Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe.) is a perennial and monocotyledonous medicinal and spice plant, whose rhizome, essential oil and extract are of interest, and this plant has wide uses in various industries. The origin of ginger is Southeast Asia and possibly India. This plant is mainly cultivated as an annual and the rhizome or the underground stem is the used part. It should be noted that the use of biological fertilizers can improve the growth and performance of plants and is also the most natural and best way to keep soil systems fertile. In addition, benefiting from natural solutions instead of using chemicals reduces pollution and destruction of biological resources. The use of Arbuscular mycorrhizal and Trichoderma fungi can leads to a reduction in the consumption of fertilizers and fungicides and an increase in yield, and also reduces production costs and is compatible with environmental principles. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Trichoderma harizanum, mycorrhiza (Glomus etunicatum and Glomus fasciculatum) and the combined treatment of fungi (Glomus etunicatum + Trichoderma harizanum, Glomus fasciculitum + Trichoderma harizanum) on the growth parameters, rhizome yield and active substances of ginger. Abbreviation of Treatments include contains: Control, M1 (Glomus fasciculatum), M2 (Glomus etunicatum), T1 (Trichoderma harizanum), M1T1 (Glomus fasciculitum + Trichoderma harizanum) and M2T1 (Glomus etunicatum + Trichoderma harizanum). This research was conducted in a factorial experiment based on a completely random design in the research greenhouse of the Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University. The rhizomes (Chinese cultivar) were transferred to the greenhouse and cultivated in pots with amended soil. These plants were inoculated with Trichoderma (Trichoderma harizanum), Mycorrhiza (Glomus etunicatum and G. fasciculatum) and combined treatment of fungi (G. etunicatum + Trichoderma harizanum, G. fasciculatum + Trichoderma harizanum). During the growing season and harvesting, the morphological characteristics and rhizomes yield were evaluated, and then the essential oil content and composition, the amount of fiber and the color of the rhizomes and precisely The Effect of Treatments on Ginger Stem Traits contains: Stem Fresh Weight (gr), Stem Dry Weight (gr), Number of Stems and Stem Length (cm), The Effect of Treatments on Ginger Leaf Traits contains: Leaf Dry Weight (gr), Leaf Fresh Weight (gr), Number of Leafs, Greenness Index, The Effect of Treatments on Ginger Rhizome Traits contains: Rhizome Dry Weight (gr), Rhizome Fresh Weight (gr), Darkness/Lightnees Indicator, Yellow/Blue Indicator, Rhizome Crude Fiber (%), The Effect of Treatments on Ginger Essential oil Traits contains: Essential oil Percentage, Essential oil Performance and The Optimal Percentage of Applied Treatments contains: Stem Length (cm), Number of Stems, Stem Fresh Weight (gr), Stem Dry Weight(gr), Greenness Index, Number of Leafs, Leaf Fresh Weight (gr), Leaf Dry Weight (gr), Rhizome Fresh Weight (gr), Rhizome Dry Weight (gr), Darkness/Lightnees Indicator, Yellow/Blue Indicator, Rhizome Crude Fiber (%), Essential oil Percentage, Essential oil Performance, Frequency Percentage of Desirable Traits were investigated. The results showed that the inoculation with G. etunicatum had the highest value of stem length (35.68 cm), fresh and dry weight of the stem (22 and 10.2 gr), Spad index (18.17), fresh and dry weight of leaves (34.46 and 8.96 grams), number of leaves (9.46) and fiber content of rhizome (4.28%). Also, the highest number of stems, darkness/brightness index and yellow/blue color index of rhizome were observed in the control treatment with values of 7.16, 73.29 and 98.6 respectively. The highest fresh and dry weight of rhizome (35.5 and 5.2 grams) were observed in the inoculation with G. fasciculitum treatment and the highest percentage of essential oil (0.4) was observed under the combined treatment of the inoculation with G. etunicatum. Camphene, 1,8-cineole, neral and geranial were identified as the main compounds of essential oil and the amounts of these compounds in the inoculation treatment with fungi were more than the control. In general, this research showed that the inoculation of rhizomes with G. etunicatum resulted in achieving the desired growth characteristics, rhizome yield and active substances in ginger. Camphene, 1,8-cineole, neral and geranial were identified as the main compounds of essential oil and the amounts of these compounds in the inoculation treatment with fungi were more than the control. In general, this research showed that the inoculation of rhizomes with G. etunicatum resulted in achieving the desired growth characteristics, rhizome yield and active substances in ginger.

Research Article Medicinal Plants

The Study of Drought Resistance in different Ecotypes of Garlic based on the Tolerance Indices in the Climatic Conditions of Hamedan

Mehdi Kakaei

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 24 April 2024

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.85395.1303

Abstract

The Study of Drought Resistance in different Ecotypes of Garlic based on the Tolerance Indices in the Climatic Conditions of HamedanExtended AbstractIntroduction and Objective: The garlic (Allium sativum) is a plant that is known all over the world as a food additive or flavoring and also because of ... Read More The Study of Drought Resistance in different Ecotypes of Garlic based on the Tolerance Indices in the Climatic Conditions of HamedanExtended AbstractIntroduction and Objective: The garlic (Allium sativum) is a plant that is known all over the world as a food additive or flavoring and also because of its medicinal properties. Garlic is chemically diverse, and many compounds have been extracted and tested from it, including Alicen, diallyl sulfides, and ajoene, which are probably the most studied compounds in garlic. Garlic has antibacterial activity, cardiovascular effect, stimulation of the immune system and also has an effect on cancer. Therefore, according to the statistics of rainfall and double pressure on underground water sources (excess extraction), research related to drought in agriculture should be done on a large scale. Drought is one of the important limiting factors of agricultural production, which prevents the maximum production of plants. Therefore, comparison of performance in various environmental conditions (stressed and non-stressed) and selection in such conditions can lead to checking cultivars against stress. Drought and water limitation are among the most important problems affecting the agricultural sector to increase the efficiency and optimal production of crops in the world, including Iran. Successful crossing of land requires research and applied research in this sector. But few researches have been done in connection with garlic medicinal plant Therefore, the present study was designed and implemented with the aim of investigating performance indicators in two environmental conditions (environment with supplemental irrigation and dry environment) in garlic plant with the help of drought tolerance indicators.Material and MethodIn this research, in order to investigate the genetic diversity of garlic ecotypes, sieve and to identify resistant ecotypes in dry land, 6 garlic ecotypes with the arrangement of randomized complete blocks design with three replications in the crop year 1401-402 in two stress environmental conditions Drought and without drought stress was designed and implemented in the educational-research farm of Payame Noor University in Asadabad. The studied drought tolerance indices are: yield index (YI), stress tolerance index (STI), harmonic mean index (HAM), average productivity index (MP), yield stability index (YSI), sensitivity index to stress (SSI) and tolerance index (TOL) were based on the economic yield of garlic in two environmental conditions of drought stress and without drought stress. Correlation was calculated between tolerance indices and yield under drought stress conditions and supplementary irrigation conditions, and based on the analysis of these correlations, tolerance indices were selected and the most appropriate indices were selected in both environmental conditions, including drought stress conditions and Supplementary irrigation that had a good correlation with yield were selected. Finally, after identifying the most favorable indicators, a three-dimensional statistical graph was used to determine drought-tolerant cultivars with high yield in both environmental conditions, in which the yield in supplementary irrigation conditions on the X-axis, the yield in stress conditions (rain) was shown on the Z-axis and one of the above-mentioned selected indicators on the Y-axis. To show the relationship between three variables and distinguish group A from other groups (B, C and D) as well as the usefulness of the mentioned index as a criterion for selecting cultivars with high yield and tolerance to drought, X-Z level by drawing cross lines to Four groups A, B, C and D were divided and because in a three-dimensional diagram only the relationship between three variables can be evaluated, to study more than three variables at the same time, bi-plot diagrammatic display based on analyzes Multi-variables were drawn with the help of the digit-index data matrix to determine the relationships between digits and drought tolerance indices in a single image. Before performing data analysis, the presence of outliers was checked. Statistical analysis of the data was done using Minitab version 15 and SPSS version 26.Results and DiscussionBased on the results of analysis of variance, the yield index in normal humidity conditions and the yield index in drought stress conditions were significant at the probability level of one percent (P≤1%). In this study, STI, SSI, MP, GMP, HAM, YI, YSI, DI and STS indicators were significant at the probability level of one percent (P≤1%), which indicates the diversity among ecotypes. garlic in terms of the studied indicators. Based on the decomposition into main components for drought tolerance indices, both the first and second components justify 94% of the changes. According to the correlation table, the correlation between yield in normal humidity conditions (Yp) with yield traits in drought stress conditions (Ys) and MP, GMP, HAM, YI, ATI, YSI and STS indicators has a positive and significant correlation. be in the bi-plot diagram, ecotypes Bahar2 and Soolan are located near STI, ATI, GMP and MP indicators, which are indicators of drought tolerance. These two ecotypes (Bahar2 and Soolan) are also located in they were placed in the first group, so it can be concluded that according to the biplot diagram, these ecotypes were desirable and indicative ecotypes. Based on cluster analysis, ecotypes are classified into two statistical groups, the first group includes ecotypes Maryanaj, Bahar1 and Emam zadeh koh (Toeejin), and the second group includes ecotypes Bahar2 and Soolan and Asadabad. Ecotypes with lower yield are placed in the first group and ecotypes with higher and more suitable yield are placed in the second group.ConclusionIn general and based on all the statistical analyzes used in the research, ecotypes Bahar2 and Soolan had the highest biomass yield. The general results of this research indicated the very important and useful role of drought tolerance indices for the separation of the studied ecotypes.Keywords: Bi-plot, Yield, Supplementary irrigation, Drought tolerance indicators.

Research Article Postharvest physiology

Investigating the Effect of Different Rootstocks on the Morphological, Phytochemical and Molecular Indicators of Thomson Navel Orange Fruit at Commercial Maturity

Fatemeh Ahmadi; M.M. Sharifani; Amir Mousavi; Negin Akhlaghi Amiri; Mostafa Khoshhal Sarmast; Khalil Zaynali Nezhad

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 05 May 2024

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.86813.1326

Abstract

IntroductionExternal and internal quality of citrus such as color, shape and taste increase economic benefit. The vigour of each rootstock causes qualitative and quantitative change and the effective factor on commercial maturity, which is important for gardeners and producers. Considering the characteristics ... Read More IntroductionExternal and internal quality of citrus such as color, shape and taste increase economic benefit. The vigour of each rootstock causes qualitative and quantitative change and the effective factor on commercial maturity, which is important for gardeners and producers. Considering the characteristics of the fruit in grafted trees, the present research was conducted with the aim of evaluating the effects of Poncirus, Citrange and Citrumelo rootstocks on some morphological, phytochemical and molecular traits of Thomson Navel orange fruit. Materials and MethodsThis research was carried out in 2018 at Ghaemshahr Horticultural Research Station, Mazandaran. It was conducted in the form of randomized complete block design (RCBD) of uniform and 10-year-old Thomson Navel orange grafted on Poncirus, Citrange and Citrumelo rootstocks with four replications. The samples were collected at the end of October and were transferred to the research laboratory of Horticulture Department, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources for further research. Measurements were made on the morphological traits, quality characteristics of the fruit, the phenolic compounds of the peel and the pulp of the fruit and relative expression of fruit pulp sucrose phosphate synthase1 gene. Data variance analysis was done using SAS software (version 9.0). Mean comparisons were done with Duncan's multiple range test. Results and DiscussionThe results of analysis of variance showed that the rootstock effect on traits of length-to-diameter ratio, weight and density of Thomson Navel orange was significant at the five percent probability level (p<0.05) and the fruit length and diameter traits were significant at the one percent probability level (p<0.01). The results of mean comparison showed that the characteristics of length, diameter, length-to-diameter ratio, weight and density of Thomson Navel orange at Commercial Maturity on the Poncirus rootstock were more than the two other rootstocks. Due to the early harvest, the density of the fruit was recorded lower than one, so that the highest amount (0.5 g per cm3) was observed in the rootstock of Poncirus. Although it was not significantly different from Citrange rootstock. Based on the results of analysis of variance, it showed that the effect of rootstock on total soluble solids was significant at the level of five percent. Also, the rootstock had a significant effect on titratable acidity, taste index, vitamin C, acidity, EC and total sugar at the level of one percent. However, the amount of vitamin C was higher in the Citrumelo rootstock. The highest amount of acidity and EC belonged to Poncirus rootstock and the lowest amount belonged to Citrange rootstock. The highest amount of total sugar was observed in the dwrafing Poncirus rootstock, while its lowest amount was recorded in the vigorous Citrumelo rootstock. The highest amount of total soluble solids was observed at the rootstock of the Poncirus. The amount of titratable acid in the Citrange rootstock was higher than the other two rootstocks. The taste index was higher in the Poncirus rootstock than the other rootstocks. According to the results of analysis of variance, the rootstock effect on the index of total phenol of fruit peel and pulp and total flavonoid of fruit peel was significant at the five percent probability level (p<0.05) and only on the antioxidant capacity of the fruit peel at the statistical level of one percent (p<0.01). Also, there was no significant difference in total flavonoid traits and antioxidant capacity of fruit pulp. The highest amount of total phenolic, total flavonoid and percentage of antioxidant activity was found in the Poncirus rootstock. Also, between the fruit organs, phenolic compounds were recorded more in the fruit peel compare to the fruit pulp. The peel of orange is more exposed to ultraviolet rays and changes in environmental conditions, Therefore more secondary metabolites accumulate in that part of the plant. The highest relative expression of fruit pulp sucrose phosphate synthase1 gene was obtained in the Citrange rootstock.ConclusionThe vigour of different citrus rootstocks caused the dwrafing trees to have a higher accumulation rate of phytochemical indices than the vigorous trees. The Poncirus rootstock is suitable for fresh consumption due to the early commercial maturity of the fruit. Fruit peel rich in phenolic compounds is used for medicinal purposes. The technical knowledge of this research will be useful for citrus producers of East Mazandaran.

Research Article Breeding and Biotechnology of Plant and Flower

Optimization of the Tissue Culture medium and the Combination of Growth Regulators in increasing the efficiency of plantlet production in Walnut micropropagation

marzieh ghorbani; Khosro Parvizi; Mohammad Yazdandoost; D. Hassani

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 06 May 2024

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.86286.1318

Abstract

IntroductionIn our country, walnut tree propagation is traditionally done through seed cultivation, often resulting in seed rot and death due to fungal, bacterial, and viral contamination (MC Granahan et al., 1986; Driver and Kenyuki, 1984; Saadat and Henry, 2002). The traditional method, in addition ... Read More IntroductionIn our country, walnut tree propagation is traditionally done through seed cultivation, often resulting in seed rot and death due to fungal, bacterial, and viral contamination (MC Granahan et al., 1986; Driver and Kenyuki, 1984; Saadat and Henry, 2002). The traditional method, in addition to low multiplication rates, leads to high variation in resulting seedlings, potential loss of seedlings due to contamination, and reduced efficiency in subsequent stages (Unit, 2012; Kaur et al., 2006). Previous research has mainly utilized concentrations of one milligram per liter of benzyl adenine along with small amounts of indole butyric acid for Iranian walnut growth and enrichment (Rodrigues, 1982; Revilla et al., 1989; Penuela, 1988; Mejzadeh et al., 2010, 1997; Amiri and Qaraati, 2012; Riosleal et al., 2012). This research aims to build upon and optimize previous work, evaluating the effectiveness of different concentrations of two growth regulators, benzyl aminopurine and adenine sulfate, on walnut plantlet regeneration and growth traits in tissue culture.Materials and MethodsThis study was conducted to optimize the tissue culture protocol for the "Chandler" cultivar walnut and determine the most suitable culture medium and hormonal composition for micropropagation. Lateral and terminal buds from the current season's branches were sterilized and cultured in DKW medium containing 2 mg/liter of benzyl adenine hormone and 100 mg/liter of indole butyric acid hormone, with polyvinyl pyrrolidine at one g/liter and activated charcoal at 2 g. Two-factorial experiments were used to process and multiply the plant after the establishment phase. The first factor was DKW culture medium containing five levels of adenine sulfate (0, 20, 40, 60, and 80 mg/liter), and the second factor was benzylaminopurine plant growth regulator with five hormonal levels containing 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2 mg/liter in combination with 0.01 mg/liter of indole butyric acid hormone. DKW base culture medium without any plant growth regulating substances was considered as control. After two months, growth traits including plantlet weight, stem length, number of leaves, number of buds, and number of leaflets per plantlet were measured in different culture media. The resulting data were statistically analyzed using SAS 9.1 software, and means were compared using Duncan's multiple range test with a five percent probability level.Results and DiscussionThe analysis of variance showed that both plant growth regulators, benzyl aminopurine and adenine sulfate, had a very significant effect at the 1% probability level on plantlet weight, stem length, number of leaves, number of buds, and number of leaflets. The interaction effect of benzyl aminopurine with adenine sulfate treatment on plantlet weight and stem length was significant at the 1% probability level. However, the interaction effect of benzyl aminopurine with adenine sulfate treatment on the number of leaves, number of buds, and number of leaflets was not significant. The results indicated that an increase in the levels of growth regulators benzyl aminopurine and adenine sulfate led to an increase in plantlet weight. The positive effects of increasing the levels of growth regulating substances in increasing plantlet weight are likely due to their direct effect on nutrient absorption, utilization, and the photosynthesis process. These results align with the research of Hatemzadeh et al. (2017) and Saadat and Henrati (2002). The positive effects of higher concentrations of both growth regulators on the increase in the number of sprouts and the lack of significant difference between the two high concentrations confirm that the use of high levels does not exceed the economic threshold. It can be justified that in excessive and unconventional concentrations, positive effectiveness is not achieved, but it can also impose more costs on the walnut tissue culture program. The appropriate concentration of BAP and adenine sulfate increases the leaf surface through the effect on cell divisions, resulting in receiving more light radiation and increasing the rate of photosynthesis. It seems that the two growth regulating substances in the appropriate concentration intensified each other's effect, affecting the rate of absorption and utilization of materials from photosynthesis, leading to an increase in the fresh and dry weight of the seedling. This, in turn, leads to a decrease in the length of the reproduction period in the resulting seedlings and an increase in the efficiency of the seedling production in walnut tissue culture.ConclusionThe use of both studied growth regulators significantly increased plantlet weight, stem length, number of leaves, number of buds, and number of leaflets compared to the control treatment. Plantlet growth was achieved when plant growth regulators were used, and in the absence of these substances, no growth was seen in the plantlet. All assessed traits increased significantly with the addition of plant growth regulators, with the highest trait amounts obtained with the simultaneous use of benzyl aminopurine and adenine sulfate.

Research Article Breeding and Biotechnology of Plant and Flower

Symbiosis of Algal Endophytes Aspergillus niger and Bacillus aquimaris OD14 with Mexican lime Seedlings under Salinity Stress Condition

leila baghazadeh; Davood Samsampoor; Abdoolnabi Bagheri; Jelveh Sohrabipour

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 16 May 2024

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.73232.1101

Abstract

Introduction: Endophytes have symbiosis life within the plant tissues without causing any obvious negative effects. Seaweeds are one of the large and diverse groups of marine plants that play an essential role in marine and oceans ecosystems. Seaweeds show rich diversity of associated microorganisms ... Read More Introduction: Endophytes have symbiosis life within the plant tissues without causing any obvious negative effects. Seaweeds are one of the large and diverse groups of marine plants that play an essential role in marine and oceans ecosystems. Seaweeds show rich diversity of associated microorganisms in compare with the other multicellular organisms. Citrus species, are amongst the most important evergreen fruit trees, cultivated in many countries worldwide. There are several obstacles for citrus production in southern of Iran, limiting continuity of citrus production. Lack of suitable soil, salinity and drought stresses are the main challenges threatening citrus industry in southern of Iran. Similar to other citrus species, the production of Mexican lime is threatened by certain biological stresses (such as pests, plant diseases and weeds) and non-biological stresses (such as salinity, drought, floods, cold and heat stress). Endophytes are advantageous group of microorganisms that protect plants from biotic and abiotic stresses. One of the alternative ways to restore normal plant growth may be to use plant growth to stimulate endophytes. Endophytes can play an important role in plant growth. Endophytes from marine environment are gaining special interest because of their existence in the harsh conditions of marines and ocean ecosystem such as temperature, light availability, high salinity and osmotic stress. Endophytes have already been isolated from various marine habitat, including marine plants, marine invertebrates and vertebrates. Among these organisms, seaweeds are one of the most prevalent sources of marine-derived fungi and bacteria for chemical studies. The purpose of this study was the isolation of associated fungi and bacteria endophytes with seaweed species in Persian Gulf to investigate morphological and molecular characterization by using PCR amplifications ITS1-5.8S-ITS4 regions and 16s rRNA gene respectively. Here, we have evaluated the potential of inoculating Mexican lime seedlings with seaweeds fungi and bacteria endophyte combination, (Aspergillus niger+ Bacillus aquimaris OD14), to improve morphological, biochemical, antioxidant and photosynthesis pigments characterizes of Mexican lime in salinity condition.Materials and Methods: The main aim of this study was to investigate the role of endophytic fungi (Aspergillus niger) and bacteria (Bacillus aquimaris OD14) in improving the growth of Mexican lime seedlings. The seaweed samples were collected from coastal regions of Bushehr province and Qeshm Island. Fungi and bacteria endophytes were isolated and identified base on morphological and molecular methods. Molecular characterization was investigated using PCR amplification of ITS1-5.8S-ITS4 regions and 16s rRNA gene respectively. Mexican lime seeds were sterilized with 0.5% sodium hypochlorite for 20 minutes and then completely distilled three times with distilled water. Seedlings pots containing autoclaved soil were placed in the greenhouse of the Faculty of Agriculture, Hormozgan University. The experiment was arranged in a factorial experiment based on randomized complete randomize design with three replications. Isolated fungi and bacteria by MT420720 and MT278260 accession numbers were used in eight months old Mexican lime seedlings. The suspension was adjusted to a concentration of 1×106 cell per ml for fungi and 1×108 cell per ml for bacteria inoculums. For better contact of seedlings with endophytes, inoculation was performed three times. After three months, salinity stress was applied. morphological (Leave, Stem and Root dry and fresh weight), biochemical (Protein, MDA and soluble sugars), antioxidant capacity (CAT, POD, SOD, APX and Gr activity) and photosynthesis pigments (Chlorophyll a, Chlorophyll b, Total Chlorophyll and Carotenoids) characteristics in treated Mexican lime seedlings and control were analyzed. Analysis of variance of traits was performed using SAS software version 9.4 and the means were compared using LSD method with a probability level of P≤0.05.Results and Discussion: The results show that most characterizes were significant compare with control. For example, in 6000 µs/cm water salinity, leave fresh weight (203.49%), root fresh weight (347.41%), stem fresh weight (206.81%) and root dry weight (421.95%) were significantly higher compared with control (P>0.001). Endophytes inoculation can significantly improve photosynthesis pigments such as chlorophyll a (65.21%), chlorophyll b (11.9%), total chlorophyll (28.39%) and carotenoids (59.09%) (P>0.001) compare with control. In antioxidant capacity of seedling, CAT, POD, SOD, Gr and APX were analyzed, Endophytes can increase enzymes activity. For biochemical characterizes, in 6000 µs/cm water salinity, endophytes can significantly increase soluble sugars (17.85%) and decrease MDA (35.18%) in inoculated seedlings compare with control (P>0.001). Conclusion: The results showed that the use of endophytic fungi and bacteria can increase the growth of Mexican lime seedlings under salinity stress. Thereby it can be used as an effective tool for growing salinity-sensitive plants in saline conditions.

Research Article Pomology

Effect of Chemical and Hand thinning on the Fruit Biochemical Properties of ‘Khadrawi’ Date Palm during Fruit Development

Mansour Jalali; Noorolah Moallemi; Esmaeil Khaleghi; Shoreh Zivdar; Mostafa Rahmati-Joneidabad

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 01 June 2024

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.87570.1337

Abstract

IntroductionThe date palm tree tolerate high temperatures, drought and salinity more than other fruit crop, that is why date palm tree is named the tree of life in the desert. Date palm (Phoenix dactiylifera) is one of the fruit tree crops that is cultivated in arid region of Middle East and North Africa ... Read More IntroductionThe date palm tree tolerate high temperatures, drought and salinity more than other fruit crop, that is why date palm tree is named the tree of life in the desert. Date palm (Phoenix dactiylifera) is one of the fruit tree crops that is cultivated in arid region of Middle East and North Africa having a significant role on the economy of many countries in these regions. Fruit thinning is one of the major operation for improving the quality of dates as also for other fruit trees. Quality of dates is improved by increasing fruit weight and size and regulating date palm production by reducing the magnitude of year to year production affecting the date palm. Date palm orchard operations include all operations that are repeated annually to produce date fruit. Alternate bearing is common phenomenon in date palms. The thinning is one of the main methods that often helps to solve this problem. The main purpose of thinning is to create a suitable balance and often to increase the leaf to cluster ratio. It is creating a balance between vegetative growth and flowering and reducing the possibility of aging in the Alternate bearing. Fruit thinning is one of the necessary operations that affects the growth, quality, fruit yield and regulation of the Alternate bearing of the tree. The thinning process is performed manually, mechanically and chemically. Therefore, choosing a thinning method that saves time and money is necessary for date palms, especially in critical situations. The purpose of this experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of manual and chemical thinning on qualitative characteristics in different stages of date fruit development of the Khadrawi cultivarMaterials and MethodsAn experiment was carried out as factorial experiment based on randomized complete block design with 3 replications at Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz in 2022 and 2023. The Experimental factors included: hand thinning (No hand thinning, removal of 33%, removal of 25% of the total number of strands) and chemical thinning (zero, 50 and 100 mg per liter of naphthalene acetic acid). Chemical and strand thinning were done in the Hubabok stage (about 4 weeks after pollination) and the Kimri stage (12 to 13 weeks after pollination), respectively. In two consecutive years, the fruits were transferred to the plant physiology laboratory of the Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz. The qualitative traits such as total soluble solids (%), pH, total acidity (%), taste index, antioxidant activity (%), total phenol (mg/gr FW), total soluble tannin (mg/gr FW), ascorbic acid (mg/gr FW), poly-galacturonase enzymes (U/gr FW), methyl pectin esterase (U/gr FW), cellulase (U/gr FW) and invertase (U/gr FW) and the percentage of reducing (%), non-reducing (%) and total sugars (%) were measured. Results and DiscussionThe results of this experiment showed that in the Tamar Stage, the interaction of hand and chemical thinning improved the qualitative characteristics of the fruit and on the characteristics of soluble total tannin, polygalactronase activity, pectin-methylesterase and reducing and total sugars, and the effect of hand thinning on total and percentage phenol and Non-reducing sugar and chemical thinning had a significant effect on ascorbic acid and cellulase enzyme. The results showed that there was upward trend in amount of total soluble solids, pH, total acidity, taste index, poly-galactronase, pectin-methyl-esterase, cellulase and invertase enzymes and the reducing and total sugars from the Kimri to Tamar stage. Also, there was downward trend in amount of total phenol, total soluble tannin content, ascorbic acid, and non-reducing sugar percentage from the Kimri stage to the Tamar.ConclusionsThe Khadrawi date variety has short strands, which results in a significant density of fruits on the strands of a cluster, which leads to large changes between fruits in most of the biochemical properties and has a negative effect on marketability. Fruit thinning is one of the most important agronomic works in the groves, which improves the quality characteristics of the fruit. In general, the although, hand thinning is more expensive, time-consuming and relatively more difficult than chemical thinning, but our finding showed that the quality of date fruit of Khazrawi cultivar improved by removing 25% of the total number of strands and chemical thinning with 100 mg/liter naphthalene acetic acid and these treatments is recommended for palm growers.

Research Article Growing vegetables

Biochemical and physiological responses of peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) plant to heavy metal stress in urban areas

Keyvan Poorhossein; bahram abedy; Mahmoud Shour

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 09 June 2024

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.87813.1341

Abstract

Introduction Urban agriculture is one of the basic characteristics of urban schematization, which helps to increase the quality of urban life via reducing the climate pollution, preserving and increasing biodiversity, as well as re-utilizing urban waste. Therefore, in recent years, urban agriculture ... Read More Introduction Urban agriculture is one of the basic characteristics of urban schematization, which helps to increase the quality of urban life via reducing the climate pollution, preserving and increasing biodiversity, as well as re-utilizing urban waste. Therefore, in recent years, urban agriculture has gained significant importance due to its economic, social and cultural benefits. However, studies have indicated that urban soils can contain high concentrations of certain infrequent elements such as lead and cadmium. These heavy metals can be distinguished from other pollutants because they cannot be bio-degraded; but they accumulate in living organisms and subsequently cause diseases and various disorders even in relatively lower concentrations. Plants, like other organisms, have defense mechanisms that are activated in stressful conditions. Thus, under stress, enzymatic antioxidant systems and non-enzymatic metabolites enhance, due to the production of reactive oxygen species. Peppermint plant (Mentha piperita L) has an essential oil with medicinal properties. High levels of heavy metals cause chlorosis and necrosis, increase the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress in mint plants. The present study was conducted on a regional scale in order to investigate heavy metal pollution and determine their impacts on some physiological and biochemical traits as well as the concentration of Cd and Pb in peppermint plants grown in urban green spaces.Material and methodsThis study was conducted to assess the amount of heavy metal absorption and its effect on some biochemical properties of peppermint plant (Mentha piperita L.), in Mashhad city in 2021.The experiment was carried out as a factorial in the form of randomized complete block design in three replications. The first factor (location) were Faz4 Park (with high degree of contamination) and Nasim Park (with low degree of contamination). The second factor was the times of harvest (June15, July15 and August 15). At the time of every harvest fully developed leaves were collected to evaluate physiological and biochemical traits.Results and discussionThe results of analysis of variance indicated that the effect of location was significant on all traits except for the yield of essential oil. Also, the effect of harvest time was significant on all traits except for peroxidase activity and the yield of essential oil. However, the interaction of location and harvest was significant only on phenol, flavonoid, proline, cadmium and lead concentration. The results indicated that the ascorbate peroxidase, catalase and peroxidase activities were higher in Faz 4 Park. Moreover, the highest activities of ascorbate peroxidase, catalase and peroxidase were recorded in Faz 4 + first harvest. Heavy metals cause the production of reactive free radicals and also increase the activity of antioxidant enzymes. However, the chlorophyll a, b, carotenoid and total chlorophyll contents were higher in Nasim. Thus, the highest contents of Chla, Chlb, Chltotal and carotenoid were observed in Nasim + first harvest. The higher amount of chlorophyll and carotenoids in the first harvest is due to the optimal growth conditions such as day length and sunlight and ambient temperature. In addition total phenol, flavonoid, proline, Cd and Pb elements indicated a reducing trend in Faz 4 compared to Nasim Park in different harvest times, but the amount of these traits were higher in the first harvest than in the subsequent harvests. Increased amount of total phenol in the first harvest can be related to the high air temperature at the first harvest which caused stressful conditions in this stage. Proline production also improves under heavy metal stress in order to protect the plant against toxicity. Nevertheless, the percentage of essential oil showed an increasing trend via enhancing the absorption of Pb and Cd in Faz 4 compared to Nasim Park. The higher percentage of essential oil in Faz 4 can be due to the lower growth of leaves due to the presence of more heavy elements in this area. In general, despite the fact that only the concentration of Pb was higher than the world standard level in both parks, the contamination with Cd and Pb (especially Pb) was more in Faz 4 than in Nasim Park, which was a factor in diminishing the growth traits of peppermint plants. In a case of harvest times, the first harvest recorded better growth characteristics and higher absorption of heavy metals due to the higher strength of the plant, while in the third harvest, due to spending more energy for regrowth, it had lower growth characteristics and weaker absorption of Pb and Cd metals. It was cadmium.

Research Article Postharvest physiology

Postharvest L-phenylalanine Application on Shelf life and Physicochemical Characteristics of Sabrina Strawberry During Cold Storage

Karim Manda-Hakki; Hamid Hassanpour

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 16 June 2024

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.87437.1334

Abstract

The Effect of Postharvest L-phenylalanine Application on Shelf life and Physicochemical Characteristics of Sabrina Strawberry During Cold StorageStrawberry is one of the fruits known for their color, shape, aroma and taste, but it is very vulnerable to diseases and decay. One of the most important global ... Read More The Effect of Postharvest L-phenylalanine Application on Shelf life and Physicochemical Characteristics of Sabrina Strawberry During Cold StorageStrawberry is one of the fruits known for their color, shape, aroma and taste, but it is very vulnerable to diseases and decay. One of the most important global challenges is food waste. Chemical compounds such as amino acids can be used as a suitable treatment to increase shelf life after harvest. In this research, the effect of L-phenylalanine (Phe) post-harvest treatment in concentrations (zero, 4 and 8 mM) and storage time (5, 10 and 15 days) on the physicochemical characteristics of Sabrina strawberry fruit during storage as the factorial experiment was conducted in the form of a completely randomized design with three replications. Based on the results, the highest color b* value in the 4 mM treatment, soluble solids (8 mM treatment), taste index (4 mM treatment), antioxidant capacity (4 mM treatment) and total phenol content (8 mM treatment)) were observed. Also, the lowest percentage of weight loss and firmness reduction were observed in the 4 mM treatment. In general, the results showed that the treatment of 4 mM L-phenylalanine can be used as the most suitable treatment to increase the post-harvest shelf life of Sabrina strawberry.Keywords: Amino acid, Fruit firmness, Titratable acid, Total phenolIntroductionOne of the most important global challenges is food waste, about 30% of the world's agricultural land is wasted. Every year, about 9.5 million tons of food is lost in the post-harvest phase of agriculture (Bishop et al., 2021). Therefore, storage technology is very important to increase shelf life, preserve nutrition and maintain the taste of fresh products (Brizsolara et al., 2020; Holler et al., 2023). Storing strawberry fruits at an inappropriate temperature after harvesting significantly increases weight loss, rotting and softening (Gol et al., 2013). Phenylalanine as an amino acid is used for the biosynthesis of all phenolic compounds through the phenylpropanoid pathway. In recent years, the application of exogenous phenylalanine has been considered for use as a biologically safe molecule to maintain the postharvest quality of many horticultural crops (Kumar Patel et al., 2020). Phenylalanine treatment has been reported to reduce the frost damage of plum fruit during cold storage by maintaining membrane integrity and improving reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging capacity. The treated fruit showed a higher DPPH inhibition capacity by increasing the accumulation of phenolic compounds and antioxidant enzyme activity (Sogvar et al., 2020). Aghdam et al. (2019) also reported that application of phenylalanine significantly reduced cold damage, membrane lipid peroxidation and ROS accumulation in tomato fruits during cold storage.Materials and methodsStrawberry fruits were obtained from a commercial greenhouse located in Urmia at full maturity stage. The fruits were transported to the laboratory of the Department of Horticultural Sciences in Urmia University with necessary precautions to prevent any mechanical damage to the product. The fruits were separated in terms of size and uniformity, so that the fruits were divided into 3 groups, one group as a control group and 2 groups were treated with concentrations of L-phenylalanine (4 and 8 mM). After drying the treated fruits, they were placed in zipped nylon bags and kept in a cold room for 15 days at a temperature of 3 ± 0.5 °C and a relative humidity of 90-95%. Also, three biological replicates at each time point were included in the analysis. The samples obtained at each of these times were used to evaluate skin color, titratable acidity, soluble solids, taste index, pH, weight loss, firmness, antioxidant capacity, total phenol content, and polyphenol oxidase enzyme activity.Results and discussionThe results showed that the effect of post-harvest treatment, storage time, and the interaction between them were statistically significant on all of the traits. In terms of color changes, the effect of post-harvest treatment (p≤0.05) was significant only in b* index, and the highest rate was observed in the 4 Phe treatment. The effect of storage time was also significant in a* and Chroma indices (p≤0.05) and the highest level was observed in both of these indices at day 5. The effect of storage time was also significant in TA (p≤0.01), the highest value was observed in day 10. In antioxidant capacity (p≤0.05), TSS (p≤0.05) and taste index (p≤0.01), the interaction effect between storage time and Phe treatment was significant. In antioxidant capacity, the highest percentage of DPPH inhibition was observed in day 10 and 4 Phe treatment, in TSS, the highest rate was observed on day 10 and 8 Phe treatment, and in taste index, the highest rate was observed on day 15 and 4 Phe treatment. The effect of post-harvest Phe treatment and storage period on fruit weight loss was significant (p≤0.05) and (p≤0.01) respectively, and the lowest percentage of weight loss was observed in Phe 4 and day 5. In terms of firmness and total phenol content, only the effect of Phe treatment was significant (p≤0.05) and (p≤0.01), respectively, the highest level of firmness in the 4 Phe treatment and the highest amount of total phenol content in the 8 Phe treatment were observed. In the PPO enzyme, only the effect of storage time (p≤0.05) was significant.ConclusionAccording to the obtained results, the 4 Phe treatment is the best concentration of phenylalanine to increase the shelf life of harvested strawberry fruits under cold storage.

Research Article Breeding and Biotechnology of Plant and Flower

Characterization of melon resistant cultivars against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis based on morphological traits and R gene patterns

Farhad Shokouhifar; Mojtaba Mamarabadi; sahba Toosi

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 18 June 2024

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.86574.1324

Abstract

Abstract Background and ObjectivesMelon (Cucumis melo L.) is a diploid plant with (2n = 2x = 24) chromosomes, dicotyledonous and annual, which has been receiving lots of attention for its biological characteristics and economic value for a long time. Iran with production of about 1.6 million tons per ... Read More Abstract Background and ObjectivesMelon (Cucumis melo L.) is a diploid plant with (2n = 2x = 24) chromosomes, dicotyledonous and annual, which has been receiving lots of attention for its biological characteristics and economic value for a long time. Iran with production of about 1.6 million tons per year ranks third in melon production in the world after China and Turkey. Vascular wilt caused by the soil borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis is one of the most important diseases causing damage to the melon plant. Due to the survival of this fungus in the form of chlamydospores in the soil and plant debris its control has been a difficult challenge so that, the only way to deal with this disease is to use resistant cultivars. The present study was conducted to characterize morphologically different melon cultivars with varying levels of resistance against Fusarium vascular wilt. Furthermore, the presence pattern of two MRGH genes belonging to the MRGH21 linkage group was tracked in the genome of the melon line, and their variations were defined. Moreover, the potential for using these genes in gene-assisted selection was investigated. Materials and methodsFive different varieties of melon named Charentais T, Charentais Fom1, Charentais Fom2, BG-5384 and the local cultivar Khatouni were grown under greenhouse conditions. Different characteristics of the plant, including leaf shape, male flowers, female flowers and normal flowers, and after harvesting the fruits, fruit weight, fruit diameter and length, diameter of flesh and middle cavity. Differentiation of resistant and sensitive cultivars was investigated based on the evaluated morphological traits. Also, the presence pattern of resistance genes was investigated in the genomic data of abovementioned melon cultivars. Melon genomic data analysis was performed with the aim of locating the MRGH21 linkage group as one of the linkage groups carrying a number of resistance genes. The sequence of this linkage group was tracked from two gene bank databases in NCBI and MELONOMICS database. Results Based on the obtained results, although it was possible to differentiate melon cultivars based on morphological traits, but since the study of these traits in the evaluation of a large number of samples in selective studies is a very time-consuming and costly task. Therefore, the presence pattern of resistance genes were analyzed in the genomic data of different melon cultivars. The sequence between two genes MRGH12 and MRGH13 including MRGH21 linkage group as one of the linkage groups carrying a number of resistance genes on Ch09 chromosome was retrieved form two gene bank databases in NCBI and MELONOMICS. Due to the presence of multiple point mutations in the genomic data, MRGH13 gene sequence was selected to be investigated for tracking in melon cultivars. PSh21-F/R specific primers were designed to track part of the sequence of this gene. The tracking results showed that a single specific band could be detected in the cultivars Charentais Fom1 and BG-5384 corresponding to the expected size. The possible role of the protein coded by the MRGH13 gene was confirmed by its sequence analysis in the InterPro network tool as a member of the family of proteins carrying leucine-rich repetitive sequences and the position of the TIR, NB-ARC and LRR domains. DiscussionAttaining suitable markers to distinguish melon cultivars resistant to Fusarium wilt disease can support the development of breeding programs with higher accuracy and speed. The results of the present study showed that based on the morphological traits such as leaf shape, the presence of full flowers, and the number of petals, some differences can be observed between different melon cultivars, but the noteworthy point is that in selection programs searching for these morphological traits will be a very time-consuming and expensive task due to the large number of investigated samples. Therefore, if molecular markers related to the resistance trait are available, the efficiency of breeding programs is expected to increase significantly. In the present study MRGH13 gene was selected to be investigated for tracking in melon cultivars and specific primers were designed to track part of the sequence of this gene. The tracking results showed that a single specific band could be detected in the cultivars Charentais Fom1 and BG-5384. Biological processes related to MRGH13 protein in the QuickGO network tool showed its relevance in the signaling pathway that regulates immune responses. In future studies, it is suggested to evaluate the ability to distinguish resistant cultivars based on resistance genes, including the MRGH13 gene, in a larger number of samples. Moreover, considering to the predicted functions of MRGH13 protein, more investigation on its interaction with other resistance proteins as well as proteins of pathogenic agents can be useful for identification of its functional role in resistance.

Research Article Medicinal Plants

The effect of foliar application of seaweed extract on morphological and physiological traits of Echium amoenum seedlings under salinity stress

Behrooz Rahimkhani; mahboobeh naseri; ahmad ahmadian; Masoud alipanah

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 07 July 2024

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.88537.1353

Abstract

Introduction: From the past, medicinal plants have been used as one of the most important resources for medicinal purposes. Even now, the use of medicinal plants is expanding in many developed. Salinity stress is one of the most important influencing factors in reducing plant growth. Salinity stress ... Read More Introduction: From the past, medicinal plants have been used as one of the most important resources for medicinal purposes. Even now, the use of medicinal plants is expanding in many developed. Salinity stress is one of the most important influencing factors in reducing plant growth. Salinity stress limits plant growth by reducing metabolic and physiological activities in the plant. One of the consequences of salinity stress in the plant is the production of abscisic acid in the plant. One of the methods that have been tested in recent years to reduce the effects of salinity stress in plants is the use of seaweed and its extract. According to the studies conducted in some plants, seaweed extract can cause the growth and expansion of the roots and help to increase the absorption of water and minerals through the roots. Also, based on the research conducted on some plants, the use of seaweed increases the amount of chlorophyll in the plant and accelerates the time of flowering and fruit formation in the plant. Echium amoenum is a perennial plant belonging to the family Borage is a valuable plant in terms of its medicinal properties is considered. in general environmental factors have a significant effect on flower production in these plants. Therefore, for the successful cultivation of medicinal plants, including in general environmental factors have a significant effect on flower production in these plants. Therefore, for the successful cultivation of medicinal plants, including Echium amoenum, providing optimal environmental conditions is a priority, providing optimal environmental conditions is a priority. Ascophyllum nodosum seaweed extract contains significant amounts of high-use mineral elements such as nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and low-use mineral elements such as iron, copper, and manganese. Therefore, according to the current results, in this study, the effect of foliar spraying of algae extract was investigated. The morphological characteristics of Echium amoenum seedling under salt stress were investigated Materials and Methods In order to investigate the effects of foliar spraying of seaweed extract on borage flower seedlings under salinity stress conditions, a factorial experiment was conducted with two factors of seaweed and salinity stress with sodium chloride salt, in the form of a completely randomized design in the greenhouse. The seeds were purchased from Pakan Seed Company of Isfahan and soaked in normal water for 24 hours, and then they were transferred into small pots containing three parts of peat moss and one part of perlite. One week after transferring the seedlings to the main pots, foliar spraying with seaweed extract was done. Foliar-spraying was repeated once every two weeks and in total the seedlings were sprayed three times with seaweed extract. In this experiment, a concentration of 1500 ppm of seaweed extract and three levels of salinity (EC=1.6, 4, 8) were used. The seaweed extract used in this experiment belonged to Akadin Company. The type of seaweed from which the extract was prepared was Ascophyllum nodosum and it is a type of brown algae. One week after the first foliar application of seaweed extracts, the application of salinity stress began. In order to prevent shock in plants, salinity treatment was done gradually and in three stages. In order to prevent salt accumulation, washing with ordinary water was done once every two weeks. Results and Discussion The results showed that the use of seaweed extract can significantly protect plant growth under salinity stress. Seaweed extract increased the amount of proline and potassium in the leaves of the plant and thereby reduced the harmful effects of salinity stress on the borage plant. In addition, foliar spraying of borage plant with the use of seaweed extract increased the amount of chlorophyll in the plant, and in this way, by increasing the amount of photosynthesis in the plant; it helped the plant to grow better under salt stress conditions. The results of this research showed that the use of seaweed extract helps the plant to maintain its conditions against salt stress by increasing the amount of proline and absorbing potassium in the tissue. In addition, foliar spraying with seaweed extract preserves the structure of chlorophyll in the plant under salinity stress, and in this way, by increasing the photosynthetic efficiency, it helps the plant grow better under salt stress. According to the obtained results, it can be concluded that the use of seaweed can reduce the negative effects of salinity stress in the seedlings of Iranian borage. In addition, due to its low price and availability, it can be used as a suitable bio-fertilizer to protect plant growth under salinity stress conditions.

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Research Article Pomology

Study the effect of some biofertilizers on growth, leaf nutrient contents and yield properties of apple cv. Red Delicious

afsaneh Salehi; Fatemeh Nekounam; Farhang Razavi

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 07 July 2024

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.87166.1329

Abstract

Introduction Apple (Malus domestica) belongs to the Rosacea family and is one of the most important fruit trees in temperate regions. Apple fruit is a rich source of vitamins, sugars, organic acids, minerals, fibers, and bioactive compounds and is widely cultivated due to its pleasant taste, aroma, and ... Read More Introduction Apple (Malus domestica) belongs to the Rosacea family and is one of the most important fruit trees in temperate regions. Apple fruit is a rich source of vitamins, sugars, organic acids, minerals, fibers, and bioactive compounds and is widely cultivated due to its pleasant taste, aroma, and texture. Due to the rising need for food and fiber per unit of land area, chemical fertilizers are becoming increasingly popular to increase yields from small plots of land. Chemical fertilizers pose major health risks and harm the environment when they are used in excess. Because of this, research in this area is heavily focused on finding and evaluating the efficiency of new products. One such approach is using biostimulants that can enhance the effectiveness of conventional mineral fertilizers. Plant biostimulants contain some nutrients (marine plant extracts, humic acids, amino acids and other natural products such as saponins and compost teas) that stimulate plant growth, even when administered in small amounts. Foliar application of seaweed extracts at 0.2% recorded maximum no. of fruits/tree, fruit weight, and yield/tree in valencia orange. Materials and methods In order to investigate the effect of biofertilizers on growth, yield and leaf nutrient contents of apple under climatic conditions of Zanjan, the experiment was carried out in a completely randomized block design with three replicates in 2023. Different concentration of seaweed (Alg; 0.075 and 0.15%), amino acid (GF Amino; 0.1 and 0.2%), humic acid (HA; 0.3%), commercial fertilizer Homarang, (Homa fert; 0.5%), combined chemical fertilizer (nitrogen, zinc and boron (Combinate fert; 1% urea, 0.3% zinc chelate and 0.1% boric acid)) and distilled water as a control were sprayed on the trees at 40 days after full bloom stage until runoff using a mechanical mist sprayer, and repeated three times with an 30 days interval until the physiological ripening of fruits. The experiment was carried out on 10-year-old Red Delicious apple trees grafted on M9 rootstocks. Shoot length, chlorophyll index, fruit drop percentage, yield efficiency, leaf area, leaf dry matter, leaf macro and micro nutrient were measured. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) and least significant difference test (P≤ 0.05) used to compare means within each sampling date. The Statistical analysis and standard error calculation were carried out using SAS software (V. 9.3). Results and Discussion The results showed that the foliar application of bio and chemical fertilizers significantly increased growth and fruit yield. So that, the highest increase in shoot length (39%) and leaf area (74.30%) compared to the control was obtained with application of seaweed 0.075%. Also, seaweed 0.15%, amino acid 0.2%, humic acid and amino acid 0.1% caused a significant increase in leaf area (42.02, 35.57, 22.27 and 16.20%, respectively) compared to the control. Foliar spray of seaweed, amino acid and chemical fertilizer increased chlorophyll index. The highest increase in chlorophyll index (50%) compared to the control was obtained with application of combined chemical fertilizer at 130 days after full bloom. These results are in agreement with the outcomes of other experiments conducted with seaweed on apple and on other crops such as grapevine. Therefore, this represents a further evidence of a possible role of seaweed extracts in the reduction of chlorophyll degradation and in delaying leaf senescence. The highest amount of nitrogen (1.66%), potassium (1.03%) zinc (150 mg g-1DW) and boron (82.5 mg g-1DW) and the lowest amount of phosphorus (0.44%) were obtained with application of combined chemical fertilizer. The highest value of iron was observed in leaf of trees treated with seaweed 0.15%, humic acid and commercial biofertilizer. Based on the results, it was observed that the amino acid, seaweed and combined chemical fertilizer have the greatest effect in reducing fruit drop (36.97, 33.37, 29.07%, respectively) compared to control) and increasing yield efficiency (respectively 2.75, 2.73 and 2.8 compared to control with 0.22 fruits No. cm-2 SCSA). These results partially are in agreement with another research performed on apple, where the use of a similar seaweed extract (Ascophyllum nodosum) was found able to induce a higher final yield. The hormonal components found in the extracts, particularly cytokinins, are assumed to be responsible for the increased yield in plants treated with seaweed. Previous studies mentioned that the application of biological fertilizers alone or in combination with the mineral fertilizers had positive influences on the leaf plate area, mean fruit weight and fruit chemical composition. Conclusions According to the results of this research, the use of biofertilizers, especially seaweed (0.15%) and amino acid (0.1%), are suitable and nature-friendly substitutes for chemical fertilizers and can play a significant role in increasing growth indices and yield of apples.

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Research Article Pomology

Evaluation of important vegetative, phenological and pomological characteristics of 36 promising almond genotypes on GN15 vegetative rootstock

Seyed Asghar Mousavi; Akram Vatankhah; Ali Imani

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 10 July 2024

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.88253.1347

Abstract

Introduction Almond (Prunus dulcis L.) is one of the valuable nut trees that is cultivated in many temperate regions and Mediterranean climatic conditions for domestic consumption and export. Almond belongs to the genus Prunus, from the Rosaceae family. Identifying and introducing genotypes and cultivars ... Read More Introduction Almond (Prunus dulcis L.) is one of the valuable nut trees that is cultivated in many temperate regions and Mediterranean climatic conditions for domestic consumption and export. Almond belongs to the genus Prunus, from the Rosaceae family. Identifying and introducing genotypes and cultivars of late bloom is one of the most important goals of almond breeding programs. The correct choice of almond rootstock causes better management of the garden, compatibility with all types of soil and resistance to nematodes. Peach × almond hybrid has been the most widely used rootstock in both dry and irrigated conditions in the past years. Creating an orchard by selecting grafted genotypes on suitable rootstock for sustainable cultivation of almonds is particularly important. Cultivation of superior genotypes grafted on fruit trees has an effect on pomological characteristics, yield and quality of nuts. The requirement for the introduction and production of superior cultivars is an accurate selection between cultivars, which is possible through the identification of cultivars and their diversity. The purpose of this research is to investigate and evaluate the most important vegetative, phenological, quantitative and qualitative characteristics of nuts and kernels in 36 promising cultivars and genotypes grafted on GN15 rootstock, in order to introduce superior cultivars. Materials and Methods: In this research, 36 promising almond cultivars and genotypes on GN15 rootstock were investigated in garden conditions in terms of various vegetative traits, nut and kernel characteristics in order to obtain suitable commercial cultivars. This research was conducted at the Badam research station in Saman region affiliated to the Center for Research and Education of Agriculture and Natural Resources of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province as a randomized complete block design with three replications. Vegetative traits of tree height, canopy length, canopy width, and branch length were measured by meter in the garden, and rootstock diameter, scion diameter, and branch diameter were measured in the garden with calipers. In order to measure the nut and kernels, 100 fruits were harvested from each of the studied cultivars and genotypes at the time of fruit ripening, and their green shell was separated and dried. Measurement of traits such as length, width, diameter of nut and kernel was done by digital caliper and weight of nut and kernel was measured by digital scale with accuracy of 0.01. Coding of some traits was done based on almond descriptor (Gülcan, 1985) with some changes. The data obtained from the experiment were analyzed using SAS software (version 3.1.9). To compare the means, Duncan's multiple range test was used at the 5% probability level. Results and Discussion According to the results of analysis of variance (ANOVA), there was a statistically significant difference at the level of 1% between the attributes of tree height, canopy width, rootstock and scion diameter, branch length and diameter, and the ratio of tree height to canopy length. (P<0.01). The results of variance analysis show that there is a significant difference between the investigated nut and kernel traits in promising cultivars and genotypes grafted on GN (Table 5). These differences show the diversity in the investigated traits and it is possible to choose cultivars for different values of the same trait. Based on the average comparison results of the vegetative traits, the highest height in genotypes GA4, GA3, GA35, The highest canopy width was observed in genotypes GA5, GA17, GA3, and GA20, GA15, GA5, the highest diameter of rootstock and scion, and the highest length and diameter of one-year branches were observed in genotype GA18. The results of the comparison of the average nut and kernel characteristics show that there is a significant difference in the cultivars and genotypes investigated in this research. The results of the comparison of the average nut and kernel characteristics show that there is a significant difference in the cultivars and genotypes investigated in this research. Based on the obtained results, cultivars and genotypes of GA5, GA24, GA12, GA9 and GA1 showed relative superiority in terms of nut and kernel traits. The results of this research showed that the GA35 genotype grafted on the GN15 rootstock had the highest length, width and diameter of the nut, and the highest weight of nut and kernel. The kernel color light, the without shrinking the kernel and the highest percentage of kernel and the highest ratio of kernel weight to nut weight. Conclusion The results of this research showed that the examination of vegetative traits, nuts and kernels in the studied cultivars and genotypes could show the diversity between cultivars and genotypes. The results showed that the investigated cultivars and genotypes have significant differences in terms of all nut and kernel traits, which indicates the existence of diversity between the investigated cultivars and genotypes. This indicates that these cultivars and genotypes can be considered as a source of good germplasm for breeding programs. Cultivars and genotypes with higher percentage of kernels had thinner shell, more patterns on the skin, and light to medium kernel color. Based on the obtained results, cultivars and genotypes of GA5, GA24, GA12, GA9 and GA1 showed relative superiority in terms of nut and kernel traits. The results of this research showed that the GA35 genotype grafted on the GN15 rootstock had the highest length, width and diameter of the nut, and the highest weight of nut and kernel. The kernel color light, the without shrinking the kernel and the highest percentage of kernel and the highest ratio of kernel weight to nut weight.

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Research Article Growing vegetables

Effect of the Foliar Application of Copper Nanoparticles on the Growth and Yield of Persian Leek (Allium ampeloperasum subsp. Persicum) under Salinity Stress

Farhad Shakarami; sadegh Mousavi-Frad; Abdolhossein Rezaei Nejad; Farhad Beiranvand

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 17 July 2024

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.86565.1323

Abstract

Introduction Salinity in water and soil stands as a crucial environmental factor that significantly hampers global agricultural production. Over recent decades, the escalating demand for irrigation in arid and semi-arid regions has intensified this issue, making it a major agricultural challenge. Salinity ... Read More Introduction Salinity in water and soil stands as a crucial environmental factor that significantly hampers global agricultural production. Over recent decades, the escalating demand for irrigation in arid and semi-arid regions has intensified this issue, making it a major agricultural challenge. Salinity stress, characterized by reduced water absorption, heightened salt uptake (especially sodium, chlorine, and boron), and the generation of reactive oxygen species, induces oxidative stress in plants, severely impacting their growth and overall performance. To enhance plant tolerance to salinity stress, elicitors are employed as a short-term and viable solution to mitigate the adverse effects of stress. Copper, serving as a cofactor and essential element for numerous enzymes involved in photosynthesis and respiration processes, plays a crucial role in sustaining natural plant growth and metabolism. Copper ions function as cofactors in enzymes like superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn SOD) and polyphenol oxidase, contributing to the removal of reactive oxygen species. However, the absence of this element in plants cultivated in alkaline and saline soils of arid and semi-arid regions can lead to nutritional disorders. In this context, copper nanoparticles emerge as a suitable alternative to chemical fertilizers due to their quicker and more efficient impact. Their use not only mitigates the negative consequences of excessive fertilizer application but also reduces the frequency of application. The Persian leek (Allium ampeloprasum subsp. Persicum) is a valuable edible-medicinal plant native to Iran, belonging to the Amaryllidaceae family. It holds significance in Iran as a key leafy vegetable, valued for its freshness and high processing potential among horticultural plants. Given the nutritional and medicinal importance of Persian leek and the prevalence of salinity stress, this study aims to explore the impact of copper nanoparticle spray in modifying the effects of salinity stress on the morphophysiological and biochemical characteristics of Persian leek. Materials and methods A factorial experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design with three replications in the research greenhouses of Lorestan University's Faculty of Agriculture. The experimental conditions included daytime temperatures ranging from 20 to 28 °C, nighttime temperatures from 15 to 20 °C, relative humidity set at 60-70%, and a light intensity of 400-500 µmol m-2 s-1. The first factor involved foliar spraying of copper nanoparticles at control levels (zero), 150, and 300 mg/liter, while the second factor comprised salinity stress at control levels (zero), 50, 100, and 150 mM sodium chloride. F1 seeds were obtained from Pakan Bazr Company and planted in 1.5-liter pots, with each pot containing three plants. The copper nanoparticles were applied through foliar spraying twice on the shoot parts at the four-leaf and six-leaf stages. Salinity stress was introduced one week after the foliar application, implemented through irrigation once every three days at a level corresponding to 90% of the field capacity. The soil mixture comprised an equal ratio of agricultural soil, cow manure, and sand, maintaining a clay-sand loam texture. Following three months of applying salt stress, a comprehensive assessment of morphophysiological characteristics was carried out. This included the measurement of plant height, stem and bulb diameter, leaf count, fresh and dry weights of stem, root leaf, root volume and length, shoot/root ratio, dry matter (%), stress tolerance index, relative water content (RWC), electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde content, photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll stability index, as well as the activity of peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase. Results and Discussion The results indicated that salinity stress had a detrimental impact on various aspects of plant growth, including a decrease in plant height, stem and bulb diameter, leaf number, and the fresh and dry weights of the stem, bulb, and root. Additionally, there was a reduction in root volume and length, along with decreased levels of photosynthetic pigments. The percentage of electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde content, and the activity of antioxidant enzymes, namely peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase, also increased, highlighting the adverse effects of salinity stress on plant development. The decline in plant growth can be attributed to multiple factors, including diminished cell division, ionic imbalance, reduced water absorption, impaired uptake of essential elements, and the impact of toxic ions, particularly sodium and chlorine. Other contributing factors include impaired absorption, regeneration, and metabolism of nitrogen and protein, as well as stomatal closure, collectively resulting in reduced photosynthetic efficiency. Salinity stress further leads to a reduction in soil water potential and an increase in the osmotic pressure of the soil solution. Consequently, the plant requires more energy to absorb water from the soil, leading to increased respiration and alterations in the hormonal balance of plant tissues, ultimately causing a decrease in growth and negative effects on the plant. The application of copper nanoparticles at both concentrations demonstrated positive effects on various growth components, including plant height, stem and bulb diameter, leaf count, and the fresh and dry weights of the stem, bulb, and root, as well as increased root volume and length. Additionally, the use of copper nanoparticles resulted in a decrease in the percentage of electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde content, coupled with an increase in the concentration of photosynthetic pigments and the activity of antioxidant enzymes, including peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase. Notably, the concentration of 150 mg/liter exhibited a more pronounced effect in enhancing plant growth, with a diminishing impact observed at higher concentrations. Copper \nanoparticles improve plant growth under stress conditions by influencing the content of cellular antioxidants and modulating the hormonal balance of plant tissues. Conclusion The findings of this study indicated that increased salinity stress led to higher electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde content, along with a reduction in RWC and photosynthetic pigments. These changes caused a decline in the morpho-physiological characteristics of Persian leek. However, salinity stress also increased the activity of peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase enzymes. Foliar application of copper nanoparticles under these conditions had beneficial effects on the plants. Specifically, at a concentration of 150 mg/liter, the negative effects of salinity stress on the morpho-physiological indices of Persian leek were alleviated. This improvement was due to an increase in the activity of antioxidant enzymes, RWC, and the concentration of photosynthetic pigments.

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Research Article Growing vegetables

Investigating the Effect of Different Concentrations of Murashige and Skoog (MS) Medium and Sucrose on the Production of Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Microtubers InVitro

Fahimeh Yarmohammadi; alireza motallebiazar; Samaneh Kazemiani; Mina Amani

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 18 July 2024

https://doi.org/10.22067/jhs.2024.87157.1330

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Considering the sensitivity of potatoes to viruses, the production of virus-free plants through in vitro cultivation and their propagation leads to a reduction in costs and an increase in yield. One of the effective methods of reducing plant diseases and producing disease-free ... Read More Abstract Introduction: Considering the sensitivity of potatoes to viruses, the production of virus-free plants through in vitro cultivation and their propagation leads to a reduction in costs and an increase in yield. One of the effective methods of reducing plant diseases and producing disease-free microtubers is the use of in-vitro production methods. Considering the role and importance of macro elements and micro elements in the growth of microtubers, it is possible to change the composition of MS culture medium by changing the concentration of salts of macro elements and micro elements without disturbing the balance of elements. This experiment aims to investigate the effect of different concentrations of macro elements (2 Mac, Mac, ½ Mac) and micro elements (2 Mic, Mic, ½ Mic) of MS culture medium in combination with two concentrations of sucrose (80 and 160 g/liter) was performed on in vitro micronodulation of Agria potato. Materials and Methods: This experiment to investigate the effect of different concentrations of macro elements (2 Mac, Mac, ½ Mac) and micro elements (2Mic, Mic, ½ Mic) of MS culture medium in combination with two concentrations of sucrose (80 and 160 (g/liter) on in vitro microtuberation of Agria potato was carried out as a factorial experiment in the form of a completely randomized design with 3 replications in the plant tissue culture laboratory of the Department of Horticultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz. Lateral buds obtained from in-vitro shoots were used as explants and were cultured under sterile conditions on different culture mediums for the purpose of microtuberation, and the cultures were kept in continuous darkness and at a temperature of 18±2°C were kept in the growth room. During one month, Microtuber initiation rate and after two months, microtuber formation characteristics were measured. Results and Discussion: The results of the analysis of variance showed that the effect of the concentration of micro elements and the interaction effects of micro elements with different concentrations of sucrose and macro elements were significant only in the case of two traits, the percentage and the speed of microtuber initiation, while all microtuber traits productivity was significantly affected by the interaction of micro elements and macro elements. In all culture mediums with 8% sucrose, the initiation percentage of microtubers was 100% and the initiation rate was also maximum. However, the highest percentage of microtuber formation, weight, length, diameter and number of buds on microtuber was obtained in 2Mac culture medium with 16% sucrose. The results showed that the microtuber that had more weight and size had a higher percentage of dormancy and the buds on the microtuber were not able to germinate and produce microtuber during the stages of microtuber formation. Conclusions: In all traits related to microtubers, except for percentage and speed of microtubers initiation, the effects of micro elements, macro elements and sucrose elements were not significant, and this shows that the three investigated factors cannot independently improve microtubers formation is effective in Agria variety. In all traits of micronodulation, the interaction effect of low consumption elements with other two factors was not significant and this shows that the concentration of low consumption elements in Agria variety is not critical for micronodulation. In all culture mediums with 8 % sucrose, the initiation percentage of microtubers was 100 % and the initiation speed was also the maximum, but when double the concentration of macro elements and 16 % sucrose were used, the initiation percentage and the initiation speed of micro-glands in Agria variety showed a significant decrease. The percentage of micro tuber formation, weight, length, diameter and number of buds on the micro tuber in Agria cultivar were significantly affected by the mutual effect of the concentration of macro elements and sucrose, and the 2 Mac culture medium has 16 % sucrose in the first priority and the ½ culture medium Mac with 8 % sucrose in the second priority was better than the other treatments in terms of the investigated traits. In this research, it was found that the produced micro glands with greater weight and size had a higher percentage of dormancy and during the stages of micro glandogenesis, the buds on the microtubers were not able to germinate and produce micro tubers.

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